KARACHI: Perturbed at the increasing incidents of street crime, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has blamed the caretaker government for the deteriorating security situation in the province.

He said that the law and order situation worsened due to a major reshuffle in the police department by the caretaker government before the general elections.

“The reshuffle affected the entire policing system,” he told reporters in Thatta, adding that the caretakers had transferred officers from additional inspectors general to SHOs as if all of them were his own men.

He said that improving law and order in the province, particularly in Karachi, was his government’s top-most priority, according to a statement issued from the CM House.

“The government is taking strict measures to improve the overall law and order situation, including in Karachi, rural areas, and particularly in the riverine area,” he said, adding that the PPP government had restored peace across the province in the past, and it was committed to ensuring the same.

CM Shah mentioned that Karachi was ranked as the seventh most dangerous city in the world by the International Crime Index before 2008. “But we restored law and order after coming into power and when we left the government in 2023, the same city of Karachi had improved its ranking and was ranked 128th on the same Index,” he said.

He said that he had taken it as a challenge to restore peace to protect life, liberty, and property of the citizens.

He said that his newly established government had arrested not only a significant number of street criminals during targeted operations in Karachi but also many bandits in riverine area.

Mr Shah stated that the police and Rangers were conducting a joint operation against the dacoits in the Katcha area of Kashmore.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2024