22 October 2004	Friday	07 Ramazan 1425

KARACHI, Oct 21: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad on Thursday issued directive to authorities to announce a cash reward of Rs2.5 million each for identifying the accused, Rehman Dacoit and Arshad Pappoo, allegedly involved in heinous crimes.

He asked the Sindh Home department to take necessary steps in this regard.

He was presiding over a high-level meeting held at the Governor's House in which prevailing law and order situation in the province was reviewed.

The governor said that in the society law should be stronger than the criminals, and it should be visible. He specially called for elimination of criminal gangs.

Reviewing the situation in Lyari, the governor directed that coordinated and lasting steps be taken for providing relief to the people.

The regional police chiefs of Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur briefed the governor about the situation in their respective jurisdictions as well as the ongoing efforts for maintenance of law and order.

Dr Ibad emphasised that the way Sindh government had achieved successes in its struggle against terrorists, efforts should also be made with the same commitment against other criminals.

He issued directive to expedite the ongoing campaign against street crimes, adding that the common man should feel the relief.

Dr Ibad called for keeping a check on the performance of security agencies as well, adding that the licences of the companies whose staff would be found involved in crimes and those found violating the regulations, should be cancelled.

He stressed the need for reorganization of police's Special Branch, and to that of making it more effective.

He directed that a coordinated programme be implemented for security and traffic arrangements in the last 10 days of Ramzan. In this regard, he stressed on community policing in all markets and bazaars.

Directive was also issued to control incidents of looting in buses on highways.

DIG (Operation) informed the governor that recently a gang had been apprehended which was allegedly involved in 29 cases of bus looting.

SCHEME-42 Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, who visited Hawkesbay Scheme 42 on Wednesday, took serious notice of the traffic jams in various areas of the city and directed the concerned authorities to take immediate steps to ensure a smooth flow of vehicular traffic.

He was accompanied by provincial Home Minister Abdul Rauf Siddiqui, Adviser to the CM on Local Government Waseem Akhtar, Chief Secretary Mohammad Aslam Sanjrani, ACS Mohammad Salim Khan, IGP Syed Kamal Shah, DCO Mir Hussain Ali and Director of the Lyari Development Project Shafiqur Rehman Piracha.

Dr Ibad asked the chief secretary that a plan to ensure a smooth traffic flow be chalked out in collaboration with the KPT, traffic police and the truck-owners' association.

He stressed on night operation at the port as has been the case in many other countries.

The governor also took notice of the encroachments along the road leading to coastal areas, including the Hawkesbay Housing Scheme. He ordered removal of all these encroachments. He directed the concerned officials to get the truck stand on the road shifted to some other place.

Dr Ibad Ishrat reviewed the project of renovation, improvement and widening of Hawkesbay Road, between Grax Village and Hawkesbay Beach (T Junction). The 8.5-km road would be constructed at a cost of Rs148 million and completed by June 2006.

The governor called for proper lighting arrangement and greenery along the road.

He also inspected the under-construction Beach Avenue Apartments and congratulated the Adviser on Local Government, Wasim Akhtar, on the resumption of work on the project.

While directing the concerned officials to ensure a smooth traffic flow in other areas of the city, Dr Ibad impressed upon them that the situation be monitored regularly.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui has said that a comprehensive plan to cope with the frequent traffic jams in Karachi had become need of the hour.

Talking to newsmen at his office on Thursday, the minister said he had already issued clear instructions to all police stations in Sindh to extend their all possible assistance to traffic police in controlling traffic during the month of Ramazan.-APP