HYDERABAD: The Sukkur bench of the Sindh High Court has ordered Sindh IGP to pull back commandos of Special Services Unit (SSU) from personal security of VVIPs, except foreign dignitaries and embassies, and deploy them for ‘public safety’, and directed home secretary to pursue the summary for the purchase of military grade weapons for Sindh police.

The bench comprising Justices Salahuddin Panhwar and Abdul Mobeen Lakho on Tuesday passed a 25-page order on a petition filed by High Court Bar Association, directing the IGP Sindh to ensure strict compliance of long and short term plans police had submitted to the court for maintenance of law and order in the province, especially in riverine area.

The order said the IGP should submit monthly report to additional registrar of the court without fail and all institutions should act in concert with police to maintain law and order as and when required.

It said that it was obligatory to get rid of the disease permanently instead of preventing it for a while. Mere elimination (of criminals) was not enough, hidden hands involved in their operation and growth ought to be handicapped permanently, it said.

The court said that a perusal of home secretary’s report showed that deficiencies and non-allocation of funds might be one of the reasons behind poor performance of police but it was a lame excuse which the court did not appreciate. “Accordingly, the home secretary shall pursue the summary with regard to purchase of military grade weapon(s) for Sindh police positively,” read the order.

The IGP informed the court the SSU force was based in Karachi and it was deployed only for the protection of VVIPs. It was not the objective of establishing the SSU. Conversely, the SSU deployment in sensitive areas would help curb crimes.

The order said the IGP should ensure deployment of SSU force for public safety as the force was disciplined having expertise to maintain law and order. The IGP should ensure removal of SSU commandos deputed for security of VVIPs, except foreign dignitaries and embassies, and ensure their deployment for public safety and eradication of heinous crimes.

It said the IGP should ensure special training for police throughout the province (from constable up to DSP) in different fields and it should be ensured that after special training, a common police constable should not be less skilled than SSU and RRF personnel.

The order said the court had given a freehand to the IGP to use modern techniques, procedures and devices to identify informers and facilitators of dacoits and criminals and take action against such men who were helping hands of the dacoits by arresting and lodging FIRs against them in accordance with law without fear or favour.

It directed the IGP to prepare a mechanism for identifying the informers and the facilitators of dacoits and criminals and submit it to the court in a sealed envelope. The IGP should dig out the ways through which the military-grade weapons fell into the hands of the dacoits.

The court asked Sindh government to notify district public safety and complaint commission to redress grievances of people against police.

The court directed the IGP to ensure merit-based recruitment without political influence and nepotism and strict action against informers and facilitators of dacoits and black sheep in police.

The IGP should ensure establishment of investigation wings equipped with modern devices and manned by competent, honest, diligent and well-trained officers not below the rank of inspectors; availability of register to public online all the time; removal of SHOs/in-charges or officers involved in criminal activities or lodging false FIRs under influence or supporting drugs and gambling mafia, and separation of investigation wing from the operation wing.

It said the home secretary should float a summary for head money and the finance department should release funds within a month with compliance report to the court; the home secretary should notify District Public Safety and Police Complaint Commission under Article 37 and its composition provided under Article 38.

The order said all Sindh’s district and sessions judges would form committees effective and should not hold meetings as formality or routine only and should submit monthly progress report to Member of Inspection Team, who should monitor performance of sessions judges and prepare a report accordingly for action in case of slackness on the part of the members.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2023