KARACHI: Police have identified at least 50 spots in the metropolis where a crackdown will be launched on beggars while the law enforcers have also approached the provincial government to establish welfare homes for beggars as arrests and imposition of fines are not a solution to the problem, said city police chief Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh on Thursday.

“Fifty places have been identified where beggars will not be allowed,” declared the city police chief.

He was talking to the media after visiting the police complaint cell in Korangi.

He said it was a responsibility of the police to arrest beggars and present them before courts while the judiciary wanted that welfare homes/institutions were established.

It was seen that whole families were part of begging rings and the problem was that they were accompanied by children. The police could not separate the children from their mothers, the police officer added.

Since there were no welfare homes for beggars, the judges used to release the beggars after imposing fines on them.

Therefore, the police have written a letter to the Sindh chief secretary that the welfare homes should be established for beggars or till the establishment of such welfare institutions, the provincial government should approach other welfare organisations and philanthropists, who may help the government in this regard, he added.

Sacking of four policemen

Referring to the sacking of four policemen, who manhandled a couple at Seaview on Sunday, the city police chief vowed that subjecting the general public to degrading treatment would not be tolerated and such policemen would be sacked.

“We are trying to bring further improvement in the police system,” he said.

He said that the whole police force should not be defamed for acts of a few individuals.

He regretted that sometimes, years-old videos were shown on social media and recalled one such incident in Landhi, whose video went viral recently despite the fact that the incident happened two years ago.

He revealed that some complaints had been received against policemen at the complaint centre and such policemen might be sacked.

Referring to recent killings of policemen in the metropolis, he claimed that most incidents were not related to terrorism or targeted killings.

He revealed that the recent killings of eight policemen were motivated by “some personal reasons”. However, Dr Shaikh did not elaborate on the nature of such personal enmities.

Drugs at academic institutes

Talking about spread of drugs at academic institutes, Dr Shaikh underlined the importance of bringing changes to the laws as most of the drug peddlers get bail from courts.

“It is imperative to control supply of drugs,” he added.

Under existing laws, possession of drugs weighing one gram to 100g was a bailable offence.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2019