KARACHI, July 9: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has taken serious notice of cellphone snatching and declared that a specialized task force would be created to deal wit the menace. He was addressing a news conference at the Governor’s House here on Saturday. The prime minister’s remarks came in the context of a meeting on law and order in the province and amid reports that in the month of July so far, as many as 1,603 cellphones had either been snatched at gunpoint or stolen in various localities of the metropolis whereas the number of such incidents since January this year came to 11,161.

Mr Aziz said that the proposed task force would study and analyze the phenomenon and work out a plan for apprehending not only the culprits but also the end-users and other beneficiaries.

Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim were also present at the press conference.

Replying to a question, the prime minister said that with the help of the Asian Development Bank experts, medium- and long-term plans would be chalked out for making Karachi a ‘real mega city’.

He said that ADB experts had already met the governor, chief minister and other officials for evolving a package that would include upgrading and improvement of infrastructure, roads, water, electricity, law and order, etc. He said that funding by the ADB would facilitate execution of the project.

He said that such plans were essential as the population would grow and so would its needs in terms of utilities and services. All these requirements needed to be discussed with ADB experts, he said.

The prime minister said that the mega city plan would include mass-transit, modern housing and other facilities.

“Karachi has become a city of an estimated 15 million souls and is a city which attracts people from all over the country who come here in search of employment and to earn their livelihood,” the prime minister observed.

He said this city had a cosmopolitan character where people of all types lived together in harmony. The prime minister also chaired a high-level meeting at the Governor’s House on Saturday. The obtaining law and order situation was reviewed threadbare at the meeting.

The meeting was attended by Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui, Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah and other top officials of various federal and provincial departments.

At a separate meeting to review flood situation, the prime minister was informed briefed about the position of River Indus and its present flood level which was termed ‘well within control’.

The prime minister said that the flood situation in the country was being monitored constantly and all relevant authorities and agencies were in a state of high alert.

He said instructions had been issued for evacuating all people residing in low-lying areas to ensure their safety. He said that all preparations had been made to carry out prompt relief and rescue operation in the event of floods hitting any part of the country.

SURPRISE VISIT: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Saturday afternoon paid a surprise visit to a utility store in Punjab Colony, adds APP.