KARACHI: Caretaker Sindh Home Minister retired Brigadier Haris Nawaz issued directives to the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to evolve a joint strategy to speed up intelligence-based operations against lawbreakers including street criminals, drug dealers/paddlers, land grabbers and comb out illegal immigrants in the city.

He issued these directives while presiding over a meeting with senior police officers at Karachi Police Office.

The meeting was attended by Addl. IGP Karachi, Zonal DIGs, DIG CIA, SSP AVCC, SSP AVLC and District SSPs of Karachi.

The caretaker Home Minister reviewed the ongoing ground-level action against organised crimes, drug trafficking and combing operations against illegal immigrants, especially Afghan nationals illegally residing in the city and involved in suspicious and criminal activities.

He said that a lot of good work had been done against organised crimes and drugs by the LEAs. However, he stressed the need to further intensify the action against anti-social and criminal elements.

He also ordered the senior police officers to visit police stations in their respective districts and check manpower and equipment, along with ensuring basic policing at the ground level with a citizen-friendly approach.

The meeting also reviewed the deployment of police personnel for the security of different personalities in the province. The meeting proposed to withdraw the additional police personnel deployed unnecessarily for the security duties. “Those who really need security will be provided with police personnel, the minister said.

While reviewing the progress of the Safe City Project, he said that it was an important project for the city and the provincial caretaker government was determined to ensure its implementation.

He was informed that the PC-1 of the project had already been approved and after an administrative approval for the release of allocated funds, ECP will be approached shortly for formal consent to commence the Phase-1 of the project.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023