KARACHI: Now the city is free from incidents of kidnapping, bank heist, terrorism and extortion, this was claimed by Sindh IGP Ghulam Hyder Jamali while briefing Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah who was presiding over a high-level meeting on law and order soon after his return from China.

Updating the CM on achievements about maintenance of peace in the metropolis, the IGP Jamali informed the meeting that for the last two to three months, neither any case of kidnapping nor any bank dacoity had been reported. Even no incident of terrorism had been reported during this period, he added.

The IGP Jamali said the menace of extortion had been totally eliminated from the district west because all the criminals involved in this crime had either been arrested or eliminated.

Giving details of achievements of the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) during the targetted operation, he said that as many as 1,802 encounters had taken place as compared to the 1,138 before the operation in the same period.

Consequently, 472 criminals had been killed as compared to 126 before the operation. He informed the meeting that out of the 9,382 arrested criminals, 7,915 had been charge-sheeted, 2,104 were on bail, 7,128 were confined in prisons and 150 were in police custody, he said.

The police officer said that during the last 24 hours, 69 raids had been conducted that resulted in five encounters, killing of two and arrest of 40 criminals. Total 472 criminals had been killed during the targeted operation as compared to 126 before the operation in the same period.

The IGP also informed that incidents of murder had also declined.

Similarly, as compared to 2,180 targeted killing before the operation, 884 had been reported during the period of targeted operation. He said that more than 60 per cent decline in the crime rate in some heinous acts had been achieved so far.

Speaking on the occasion the chief minister expressed his satisfaction over the law and order situation and directed the officers to speed up their action against terrorists, extortionists and kidnappers.

The PPP government, he said, was committed to restoration of peace in the city. He directed the officers to follow their cases till conviction of criminals. He said that the police officers would be encouraged for their best services and sacrifices.

Chief Secretary Sajjad Saleem Hotiyana, Karachi Additional IG Police Ghulam Qadir Thebo, City Commissioner Sohaib Siddiqi and other officers concerned attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, the chief minister strongly condemned police torture of print and electronic media men while they were reporting the incident of political confrontation/ protests at the Constitution Avenue in Islamabad on Saturday and Sunday.

He termed the police act illegal, unethical, immoral and unacceptable.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2014