KARACHI, Aug 25: Sindh Information Minister Sherjeel Memon has said that Rangers and police carried out 183 raids during their surgical operations in different parts of the city over the last two days and picked up 165 suspects, including some target killers and extortionists.

Speaking at a press conference with city police chief Saud Mirza in the New Sindh Secretariat building on Thursday, the minister said the law-enforcers also seized 97 weapons, 798 rounds, 900 bottles of liquor, heroin, hashish and other drugs.

He said these raids were being carried out according to a strategy made by the Sindh government to restore peace to the city.

“This operation will continue until peace is restored to the metropolis and the writ of government is fully restored,” said the minister.

He added that the operation was being carried out across the board and no one had raised any objection to it so far.

He said Rangers were sent in Lyari not for any operation but were posted to cordon off the area to check criminals’ movement.

The operation was being carried out in targeted areas on the basis of the intelligence reports, he added.

The minister said that a special cell had been set up at the CM House where any information about target killers or other criminals would be welcomed and the identity of such person would be kept secret. He added that phone numbers 021-99202026 and 021-99202065 and fax number 021-99202029 would remain operational round the clock.

Mr Memon appealed to the media not to report through tickers about the movement of police force and Rangers, if it came into their knowledge, as such information created hurdles in the operation.

Responding to a question, he said Rangers and police had not come across any torture cell during the raids.

In reply to another query, he said the situation had started improving, as only one killing over personal enmity was reported in the city a day ago while two people were wounded on Thursday.

Answering yet another question, he said it was not possible to deweaponise the city within a few days as criminals had hideouts in different areas and they relocated with information leaks about targeted operations.

He said the suspects were being interrogated but it was not advisable at this moment to disclose their claims about their political affiliation.

The minister denied that the government was holding an all-parties conference. He said that a meeting was summoned to brief leaders of political parties about the outcome of the surgical operations.