HYDERABAD, Oct 11: District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil has asked all DSPs and SHOs of the district to make foolproof security arrangements in all markets so that people can shop for Eid without any fear of pick-pockets or robbers.

The nazim was presiding over a meeting on law and order at his secretariat on Wednesday. The meeting was held to plan effective measures to thwart any possible terrorist activity during the holy month. MPA Aslam Pervez, DPO Ali Ahmed Junejo and all DSPs and inspectors of the district attended the meeting.

The nazim directed them to supervise security measures during banking hours and from Iftar to midnight. The miscreants might take advantage of the holy month when mosques were filled with faithfuls and Eid shopping reached its peak, he said.

Taking note of a sudden increase in incidents of robberies, purse-snatching and other criminal activities, the nazim urged police to check the criminals in their tracks.

He said that the police in plainclothes should man different points in the markets and they should establish effective communication system with market unions to be able to take rapid action in case of any criminal activity. He warned the SHOs that they would be held responsible for any crime that took place in their areas.

Responding to the police’s complaint about shortage of force, the nazim directed the DPO to withdraw all the personnel deployed unnecessary elsewhere while assuring that he would take up the matter with higher authorities.

Mr Jamil took serious notice of hours-long traffic jams and said that the problem was caused by haphazardly parked rickshaws and other vehicles, encroachments by vendors and pick-up stands on the roads.

He asked traffic police not to allow double parking on the roads and take action against the vehicles even if they carried the numbers of provincial or federal governments.

He asked them to instruct the pick-up drivers to keep their vehicles in a straight line along the road so that they might not impede the flow of traffic.

He advised the traffic police to arrange more vehicle-lifters and deploy them at each corner of the road and directed them to ensure traffic flow was smooth especially at Hyder and Kohinoor roundabouts, which were undoubtedly the busiest points in the city.