KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presiding over a meeting on law and order on Friday categorically told the provincial police that he would not tolerate crimes against women, children, minorities and cases of kidnapping for ransom and drug trafficking.

“This should be considered as guiding principles and be focused accordingly — however, I am establishing a separate unit to monitor crime situations at CM House, therefore crime rate must be seen coming down in all the police zones/regions of the province,” he added.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IG Police Mushtaq Mahar and other relevant officials.

IG Mahar briefing the chief minister said that from Jan 1 to Aug 5, 2021 no terrorism and targeted killing incident took place in the province.

However, he said, 35 murders, 103 extortion cases and 118 cases of kidnapping for ransom were reported, adding that most of the kidnapping for ransom cases had taken place under honeytraps.

The Karachi police chief told the chief minister that overall law and order situation was under control in the city, however, a few incidents such as kidnapping and murder of a minor girl in Zaman Town, attack on Chinese national at Gulbai and looting of a cash van that resulted in the killing of two persons at F.B Area were worth mentioning.

The chief minister was told that Hyderabad range was traditionally a low-crime area, except Dadu district where violent incidents were being reported. At this the chief minister said that there were some reports that illegal trade of gutka/mawa were on the increase in Hyderabad region and the incident of Dodo Bheel and burning of house of Shankar Malhi were intolerable.

He directed the provincial police chief to convey his displeasure to the police officers of Hyderabad region.

The meeting was told that 40 rape cases and 272 cases of kidnapping have been reported this year.

The chief minister said that last year’s data showed that only 192 kidnapping cases were reported, and asked why kidnapping was increasing.

The IG said that most of the cases had taken place under honeytraps.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2021