KARACHI, Aug 23: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Friday set up a committee to prepare a comprehensive security plan for prisons in Karachi and other cities of the province in the wake of recent terrorist attacks on a number of jails in the country and serious threats to other jails.

At a ‘special meeting’ held to review law and order situation in the province with primary focus on Karachi, the chief minister appointed Sindh IG Shahid Nadim Baloch head of the committee and asked him to report him within a week about the law and order and the prisons security plan.

“The chief of the Sindh Rangers and officials of other law-enforcement agencies will be members of the committee,” said a statement issued by the Chief Minister House after the meeting.

The CM said the government needed to review ‘all important matters regarding law and order in the province and take immediate measures for security of people’s lives and property.’

He praised the role of law-enforcement agencies as well as Pakistan army troops to keep the by-polls process in Sindh ‘peaceful’. “On polling day, the police and Rangers had made a comprehensive security plan that resulted in peaceful voting in the entire province except a late-night attack on an army truck in the Korangi area,” said the statement.

“The chief minister called the bomb attack an unfortunate incident. He was informed by the Sindh IG that police had spotted and defused a bomb planted near a polling station on polling day,” it said.

However, the statement did not give details about the polling station where the bomb had been planted as by-elections were held in seven constituencies of the province.

Senior officers of the law-enforcement and intelligence agencies as well as Sindh information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and chief secretary Ejaz Chaudhry attended the meeting.

“Senior officers of the Sindh Rangers and other agencies also briefed the chief minister who was concerned about kidnapping for ransom incidents across the province and asked the IG-headed committee to devise a strategy against the menace,” said the statement.

The meeting also discussed issue of Kutchhi families’ migration from the violence-hit Lyari and the chief minister ordered to help the community and make efforts to bring them back to their homes. He ordered enhanced patrolling, surveillance and snap checking by the law-enforcement agencies.

“The CM also ordered registration of aliens living in slum areas on the outskirts of the city and sought a complete report in this regard. He directed the officials concerned to immediately contact Nadra (National Database Registration Authority), Nara (National Aliens Registration Authority) and Afghan refugees commission in this regard,” said the statement.

Meanwhile, at a meeting of senior police officers at the central police office (CPO), the Sindh IG ordered to strengthen coordination with other law-enforcement agencies for prompt action against criminals, said a statement.

“The meeting was attended by additional IGs and DIGs of the special branch, CID and all three zones – east, west and south,” it said.

“It also reviewed pace of investigation into high-profile cases, including bomb blasts, target killings and kidnapping for ransom. The police performance report from Jan 1 to Aug 22 was also presented in the meeting,” said the statement.