LARKANA, Aug 20: Police came under criticism for its failure to contain deteriorating law and order situation by the members of Awam Dost Panel during the District Council Larkana meeting, on Monday.

Badar Abbasi, member of the Khushhal Pakistan Panel (KPP) advised the Council to forward joint recommendations to high-ups for tackling lawlessness.

The KPP members called for a meeting with police high-ups to recruit union guards in all councils under the Sindh Local Government Ordinance. They said meeting between police officials and elected representatives need to be held to find ways and means for addressing the issue.

The Inspector General of Police Sindh had agreed to provide training, uniforms and arms to Council guards, while their salaries and residential requirements will be met by respective councils, they said.

The ADP members Ms Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto, Khair Muhammed Shaikh, Barkat Shaikh, Ali Gohar Bhatti, Haji Baqar Junejo, Ms Khurheed Talat Khatyan (SNF), Iqbal Soomro (JUI) lashed out the poor state of law and order situation in the district.

They said the DPO had miserably failed in controlling the situation as robberies, theft, burglaries and motorcycle snatching were on the rise. Police stations were being sold, said Khair Muhammed Shaikh. They called for installing a commissioned police officer in Larkana and targeted police for its poor performance lamented that the house of elected representatives was discussing law and order situation in the absence of district Nazim and District Police Officer. They said both should have been here instead, the SP investigation attended the meeting.

The SP investigation Larkana Nisar Ahmed Channa taking rostrum pointed towards acute shortage of police strength in Larkana district. He said the district had only 1,600 force, including officers with no recruitments made in the last seven years. He said there were only 12 mobiles for 27 police stations in the district while the salaries of cops range from Rs5000 to Rs7500 which was another factor affecting their overall performance.

He urged the council to help police in purchasing motorcycles and strengthening the position of ‘15’. The convener Syed Ali Raza Shah who was presiding the meeting adjourned it till Tuesday when the council would continue the same discussion.

PPP: President PPP Sindh Chapter, Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that Benazir Bhutto would return in October.