KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the law enforcement agencies on Wednesday to make foolproof security arrangements, including implementation of the Safe City project, to make the peace in the metropolis sustainable.

He said the people of the city, the police, Rangers and other law enforcement agencies had rendered a lot of sacrifices for the peace in Karachi, but the recent terrorist incidents, including the killing of Syed Ali Raza Abidi, showed that the dispersed terrorists were getting re-organised once again. “This is a very serious and alarming matter and cannot be tolerated,” he said and directed the inspector general of police to improve performance of the police.

The chief minister stated this while presiding over an emergent meeting held to review the law and order situation here at CM House in the wake of the ex-MNA’s murder. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, CM Adviser on Information Murtaza Wahab, Rangers DG Maj Gen Mohammad Saeed, IGP Dr Kaleem Imam, provincial heads of the intelligence agencies, South DIG Javed Alam Odho and other officers concerned.

Recalling that during the last six weeks six terrorist incidents had taken place in the city — a blast on Nov 17 in Landhi claiming innocent lives, attack on the Chinese consulate in Clifton, an attack on a vehicle in district South and at a Mehfil-i-Milad in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, followed by the killing of PSP workers in their office and the latest murder of Syed Ali Raza Abidi in Defence.

‘I want you to arrest the killers and report it to me’

“This is serious and alarming and cannot be tolerated, therefore, the law enforcement agencies, particularly the police, should take strict security measures and improve their performance,” he told the IGP, regretting that despite the fact that the police department had been turned into an independent organisation with no political interference in police affairs, the results were disturbing and painful.

District South police in focus

The chief minister said that out of the six terror incidents, three incidents had happened in district South, therefore the South police should be more vigilant and active. “I want you to conduct security audit of the city and strengthen security at the vulnerable points,” he said and asked the IGP to keep him posted from day to day on the law and order situation in the province in general and in the city in particular.

Earlier, briefing the chief minister on the incident of Ali Raza Abdi, DIG-South Javed Odho said that five cartridges were found at the spot where Ali Raza Abdi was shot dead. The forensic test of the cartridges had revealed that the pistol had been used in some other incidents which were already under investigation. The DIG further said that the mobile phone of Ali Raza Abidi had been taken into custody and was being decoded so that his messages and calls could be checked for investigation.

The intelligence agencies also briefed the chief minister on the incident and suggested some strict security measures. They also pointed to the making and breaking in some parties, which could also be leading to violence. It was also revealed in the meeting that the police and Rangers had made some important arrests and they were sure that some solid clues would be unearthed to arrest the killers of Ali Raza Abidi.

The chief minister categorically said he wanted the arrest of the killers “not the clues”. “This [terrorist activities] is emerging again and I won’t allow this because we all, the ruling party, the people of the city, the police, Rangers and other law enforcement agencies, have rendered a lot of sacrifices for the peace in Karachi and this peace is dear to me like everyone of you, therefore this must be made sustainable,” he said. “I want you to arrest the killers and report to me,” the chief minister told the provincial police chief.

Hate speeches

When it was pointed out that some hate speeches were being delivered from London through which workers of a party were being instigated for killing their opponents, the chief minister directed the chief secretary to take up the matter with the Foreign Office in Islamabad to raise the issue with the British Embassy. “This is unacceptable and must be stopped through diplomatic efforts,” he said.

The chief minister also directed IGP Dr Kaleem Imam to start recruitment of policemen purely on merit. “Last time we had made recruitments in which HR people of Pakistan Army were also included,” he said and gave the IGP the go-ahead for starting the process.

He also directed the chief secretary to expedite the Safe City project by implementing the decision of installation of trackers in motorcycles and number plates on their front.

The meeting decided to keep an eye on the movement of the culprits released from jails during the last two months.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2018