• Calls for intelligence-based action against banned outfits
• Says killings of citizens by muggers ‘unacceptable’

KARACHI: Top brass of police, Rangers and intelligence agencies in Sindh sat together at Chief Minister House on Thursday to evolve a coordinated strategy following a renewed wave of terrorism in other parts of the country and an alarming surge in incidents of street crime in the metropolis.

The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, discussed at length the threats of terrorism and street crime and decided to launch an operation to be jointly carried out by police and Rangers against those involved in street crime in Karachi.

Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, director general of Pakistan Rangers Sindh Major General Azhar Waqas, officials of the Counter-Terrorism Department, Special Branch and provincial heads of intelligence agencies attended the meeting.

The chief minister gave 15 days to the police to launch aggressive operations against street criminals and called for close coordination among all the intelligence agencies and police.

While the meeting noted that banned militant outfits were not strong enough in Sindh, the CM stressed the need for strict vigilance to check the movement of suspected militants.

He asked authorities to launch an intelligence-based operation against militants belonging to banned outfits.

CM Shah was, however, quite worried about the situation of street crime in the metropolis.

According to a statement issued from CM House, he said: “Street criminals have created unrest among the citizens of Karachi. But their [criminals’] number is not so high that they could not be crushed. I want the police and Rangers to work out a plan to launch an operation against them and ensure deployment of their forces at the hot spots, which are very much identified.”

About the killings of a number of innocent citizens by armed muggers over resistance in the city, he said: “This is unacceptable and a challenge to the government … I want the police and Ranger to work together to eliminate the menace.”

The participants in the meeting decided that the hotspots where street criminals were more active would be secured through effective deployment of police.

The gangs operating in the city would be busted through a joint operation by the police and Rangers, they said, adding that there was a need to improve prosecution in cases against muggers and street criminals.

The meeting was told that during the current year, 2,258 encounters with terrorists and street criminals had taken place and as a result, 1,259 gangs had been busted, 16,612 criminals arrested and 204 killed.

The chief minister directed the authorities to keep strict vigilance at the exit and entry points of Karachi and the province so that criminals’ movement could be checked.

It was pointed out that various illegal immigrants were coming to Karachi, but they were being returned on a regular basis.

The chief minister said that he would take up the issues of illegal immigrants’ influx into the city with the federal government so that they could be stopped at the borders.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2022