KARACHI: Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon on has ordered a crackdown on so-called ‘commission agents’ on account of cheating flood victims out of thousands of rupees distributed from relief funds.

He issued these instructions on Friday after reviewing reports submitted by divisional police officers of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur and Larkana about cheating in distribution of the funds.

According to a police spokesperson, the reports said that total 93 FIRs had been registered against 202 nominated suspects, out of who 140 had been arrested in the said five divisions.

The police said the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) had been started in 22 districts and 111 Talukas of Sindh to distribute special grants among deserving women affected by rains and flash floods.

The provincial police chief ordered provision of extraordinary security measures at the BISP centres to save poor women from ‘agent mafia’ and criminal elements.

Mr Memon said lady police should also be given specific responsibility to that effect and in the districts where they were in less numbers, services of lady health workers should be acquired.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2022