KARACHI, July 6: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan has called for activating the Arts Council of Pakistan and undertaking coordinating and constant steps for making it an exemplary centre of art and culture.

He stated this when a delegation of the Arts Council called on him at the Governor’s House here on Thursday.

The delegation included Saif ur Rehman Grami, Aniq Ahmed and Rizwan Ahmed.

Sindh Secretary for Culture Mehtab Rashdi, Secretary for Land Utilization Khalid Mahmood Soomro and DCO of Karachi Fazalur Rehman were also present on the occasion. Matters including the building of the council, Koocha-i- Saqafat, housing society came up for discussion.

The governor directed that the rules of the council should be updated.

At the Koocha-i-Saqafat, the culture and art of all the areas of the province, should be presented and in this connection the office-bearers of the council should remain in contact with the DCOs of all the districts.

The governor also issued necessary directives for the early initiation of the housing scheme.

He also directed that the accounts of the council for the past five years be got audited from the office of the auditor-general of Pakistan.

street crimes: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has directed the authorities concerned to form a special force to control street crimes in Karachi.

Speaking at a high-level meeting in the Governor's House that reviewed the prevailing law and order situation in the province, he issued directives for taking effective measures to curb activities of dacoits and other criminals in the interior of the province.

Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui, Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman, IG Jehangir Mirza, City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, CPLC chief Sharfuddin Memon and other high officials attended the meeting. A delegation of industrialists, led by KCCI President Haroon Faruqi, presented the business community’s suggestions.

Dr Ibad noted that street crimes were common in large cities of the country but Karachi being the economic centre was affected the most.

He stressed the need for effective steps to uproot gambling and narcotic dens from the entire province and issued directive for taking punitive action against negligent law enforcement personnel and appointing efficient men.

He instructed the high-ups to transfer the responsible police officials of the area where crime rate became high. He emphasised the need for seeking community's co-operation in curbing crimes.

The governor directed the authorities to divide the Gadap police station into two stations besides breaking up other large and lucrative police stations of other districts of the province.—APP/PPI