KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to install latest CCTV cameras on all vantage points in Karachi on the pattern of London and make necessary amendments to the law to make the footage admissible as evidence in court.

This is one of the policy decisions taken by the Sindh apex committee which met at CM House here on Tuesday. The meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, was attended by Governor Ishratul Ibad, Corps Commander Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar, Rangers Director General Maj Gen Bilal Akbar, IG Sindh A.D. Khowaja, chiefs of intelligence agencies, provincial ministers Nisar Khuhro, Murad Ali Shah and Sohail Anwar Sial, advisers to the CM Maula Bux Chandio and Murtaza Wahab and other officials.

The meeting approved a proposal to provide incentives to investigators and prosecutors on successfully concluding high-profile cases.

Apex committee briefed on kidnapping of Awais Shah and killing of Amajd Sabri

The apex committee was briefed on the progress made so far in the cases about kidnapping of Awais Shah, son of the Sindh High Court chief justice, and killing of renowned qawwal Amajd Sabri. It reviewed CPEC projects and plan for their security and steps being taken to meet the challenge of flood in the wake of expected heavy rains.

IG Khowaja informed the committee that 2,292 CCTV cameras installed on 538 different locations of Karachi were of “very poor quality” and most of them were out of order. He said the city needed 12 megapixel CCTV cameras.

Corps Commander Lt Gen Naveed was of the opinion that 2,292 cameras were not enough. London is smaller than Karachi but it has 60,000 CCTV cameras which keep recording every individual round the clock.

Governor Ibad suggested that there should be a separate commissionerate to install, maintain and regulate the CCTV network.

The chief minister formed a committee comprising Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, IG Khowaja and Home Secretary Jamal Shah to look into the proposal for setting up an ‘authority’ to install, operate and regulate CCTV cameras. It will be authorised to issue the CCTV footage.

Referring to the kidnapping of Awais Shah, the IG said police and other law-enforcement agencies were continuously working on the case. Police have conducted 145 raids. Only 48 hours after the kidnapping, an activity was noticed on the phone of Awais Shah in Landi Kotal.

IG Khowaja said the car used in the kidnapping was an imported one. “We have examined and found that 3,000 cars of that model and brand have been imported, of them 700 are in Karachi,” he said, adding that the SP number plate of the car was computerised one. “Police have interrogated all the people involved in manufacturing computerised number plates to trace any clue,” he said.

The IG said the Sindh Public Service Commission had started the process of hiring 200 inspectors (investigators) and 170 inspectors (prosecutors).

The chief minister announced that he would give special incentives to investigators and prosecutors if they worked out and prosecuted high-profile cases successfully.

The apex committee was informed that recruitment of 2,000 ex-army men for the security of CPEC was in progress. So far 168 officials have been recruited while the recruitment of 487 others was in final stages, but there is a lack of applicants.

The corps commander said Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif had assured the Sindh government of providing the ex-army men of Sindh domicile who were near retirement.

About the killing of Amjad Sabri, the IG said the qawwal had been targeted with a 30-bore pistol, which was normally not used by hitmen. This type of pistol was used by the killers of a banned outfit, he claimed.

He said the case of Amjad Sabri was being investigated from three different angles — property dispute, sectarian or politically motivated killing.

The IG said the Sindh police force had 120,000 personnel and there were various issues such as their attendance, seniority list and ghost employees. There should be a computerised system to keep their complete record.

The chief minister directed the chief secretary and the home secretary to send him a proposal for creating an IT service cadre in the police department. The IT cadre will be responsible for maintaining policemen’s complete record such as their appointments, trainings, promotions, seniority list, retirement and payment of salary, perks and pensions.

CPEC: Corps Commander Gen Naveed informed the apex committee that a separate brigade had been raised for the security of CPEC projects.

Brigadier Farhan of the CPEC brigade said that 13 of the 38 projects in energy, roads and railway sectors were being carried out in Sindh where more than 9,000 Chinese workers were engaged. He said 26 economic zones were being established under the CPEC and six of them were in Sindh.

He said that of the 132 non-CPEC projects, 80 were being carried out by the government and 80 by the private sector. About 3,934 Chinese are working on these projects.

The apex committee approved a security plan for the CPEC projects. The chief minister said that 2,000 ex-army men for the CPEC projects would be inadequate and directed the IG to submit an addition requirement of over 600 personnel because CPEC was the most important project.

HEAVY RAINS: The meeting was informed that the expected heavy rains might cause urban floods.

The chief minister told the meeting that he had released Rs144 million for cleaning rainstorm drains. The cleaning work will be carried by the KMC and supervised by the commissioner and representatives of 5-Corps.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2016