KARACHI: Aside from ‘hardened criminals’, outlaws operating in the Katcha areas of Sindh should be rehabilitated if they surrender to the state, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Monday.

Chairing a meeting on Sindh’s law and order situation in Sukkur, the president also emphasised the need to improve the road, healthcare and education infrastructure of the Kacha areas on a priority basis to improve the socio-economic conditions of its residents.

Those who surrendered should be gradually brought into the mainstream and rehabilitated to make them responsible and productive citizens of the country, he said.

President Zardari also advised that a national jirga, comprising of tribal chiefs, should be convened to engage and negotiate with the local population to bring normalcy, as well as prevent crimes, de-weaponise and improve the security situation in the area.

Stresses need to better infrastructure, improve lives of katcha residents; proposes national jirga to bring together tribal chiefs

President Zardari was briefed about the law-and-order situation in the province and the implementation status of the directions given during the meeting held on May 1. He was apprised that the crimes and violence in Sindh, especially in Karachi and Kacha areas, had witnessed a declining trend due to the effective strategy adopted by the police and Rangers.

Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon informed the meeting that dacoits’ activities had been considerably reduced and no highway-related crime had been reported over the past two months.

It was highlighted that targeted operations and installation of smart cameras had helped control crime and identify and arrest criminals, as well as their abettors.

The Rangers Sindh Director General Major General Azhar Waqas told the meeting that 133 joint operations had been conducted by the Sindh Police and the Rangers which led to the arrest of hundreds of dacoits and criminals.

He stated that additional check posts had also been established in various parts of Kacha to control crime.

The meeting was further informed that on the president’s directions, the campaign against drug pedlars was intensified and, in that regard, 308 drug suppliers had been arrested, besides installing smart cameras to monitor the entry points of the province.

President Zardari directed the Sindh Government to focus on raising a police force along modern lines to effectively meet the security challenges and requi­rements of the province. He also underlined the need to strengthen the capacity of the Sindh Police by providing them modern equipment and weapons, adequate human resources and logistics.

He said that police officials should be incentivized enabling them to discharge their duties with commitment and devotion. We also need to encourage women to join the Sindh Police, he added.

He stated that the welfare of the families and children of martyrs of the Sindh Police should be ensured.

Minister for Interior Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Mu­­r­ad Ali Shah, Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, PPP MNA Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Sindh Mini­s­ter for Planning and Development Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Minister for Home, Law and Parlia­mentary Affairs Zia ul Hassan Lanjar, Additional Chief Secre­tary Sindh Muhammad Iqbal Memon, GOC Pano Aqil Garrison Major General Aamer Amin and other senior officials of the federal and provincial governments also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2024