HYDERABAD: Sindh Inspec­tor General of Police (IGP) A.D. Khowaja has said that police auxiliaries will perform security duty in general election because it is not possible for regular police to man all polling stations.

Speaking to journalists after watching final of Shuhada-i-police night cricket tournament at police ground late on Friday night, Mr Khowaja said on reports about his desire to quit as IGP that it was for the government to decide. “[I] will accept whatever the government decides,” he said.

He said that police’s contingency plan for general election would be finalised by the end of June and after that rehearsal would also be carried out to ensure preparedness of the force.

He appreciated senior superintendent of police Pir Mohammad Shah for organising the colourful event and announced holding similar tournaments in all districts of the province. DIG Javed Alam Odho was also present.

The IGP said in answer to a question that Rangers did play a significant role in restoring peace to Karachi because of peculiar conditions in the metropolis where police felt demoralised because of ethnic riots and targeted killings of policemen.

He said the situation had greatly improved since 2013 onwards and expressed the hope that Sindh police would discharge its responsibilities in a professional manner in Karachi as well like other parts of the province.

He said that law enforcers had arrested many terrorists, which eventually led to telling improvement in the situation, and hoped police would keep up the performance with the same zeal.

He said that Election Commission of Pakistan had to take a decision on postings of police officers across the province before general election. At present, the ECP had imposed ban on transfer and postings of police officers.

Mr Khowaja said that apex court’s order for withdrawal of policemen from VIP security had been implemented in letter and spirit. Before this order, 10,000 policemen were engaged in the duty and their number had now been reduced to 4,600.

In the light of apex court’s order, the Sindh government had formed a provincial threat assessment committee comprising representatives of different agencies, police and home secretary and headed by home minister to assess individual cases of security and take decision on allowing or refusing provision of security.

He said that police sports wing had been abolished in past and it had been restored only recently. Now police had a healthy amount for sports and welfare activities and efforts would be made to increase allocation for sports.

MIRPURKHAS: The IGP inaugurated a police facilitation centre here on Saturday evening amid tight security. He said after opining the centre that it would be run by 26 staff members of police who would be available to public from 9am to 5pm.

The centre would facilitate general public in registration of FIR, handle issues of women and child abuse, register foreigners, learning driving license, tenant and employees, women rescue cell and legal aid and lodge complaints about other issues.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2018