KARACHI, April 5: The Sindh police department has decided to introduce changes in its intelligence system and upgrade security at the police stations in Karachi. The decision has been taken in the wake of the Sunday attack on the Gulistan-i-Jauhar Police Station in which five policemen were killed.

Presiding over a meeting at the central police office here on Monday, provincial police chief Syed Kamal Shah took notice of the poor performance of the intelligence network of the police department, and directed intelligence officials to activate the system of advance intelligence collection.

"It is the only way to exercise proactive policing and take stern action against anti-social elements," he said, according to a press release issued by the Sindh police.

Mr Shah asked the city police chief and the town police officers to review security arrangements at all police stations, district headquarters and family quarters and take extraordinary measures to ensure high security at the police stations.

The TPOs were also directed to visit all police stations in their towns and prepare a list of police stations which were not properly built. On their recommendations, the police will formally sent a summary to the Sindh government for funds. Mr Shah warned the officials to keep alert, otherwise a stern department action would be taken for dereliction of duty.

At present, there are 105 police stations in Karachi. Among them, at least 37 police stations have been illegally established on land/plots belonging to civic agencies or private individuals.

The Sindh police had already asked the government in 2003 for sufficient funds to purchase land for the construction of new buildings so that the department could vacate those encroachments, sources said. However, the National Reconstruction Bureau had proposed the police to reduce the number of the police stations, they added.

About security at the police stations, the Karachi operations DIG, Tariq Jamil, told Dawn that the entire system of police stations would be reorganized. "Forty per cent of police stations are 'a soft target' and orders to construct at least boundary walls have been issued for such police stations," he maintained.

Mr Jamil said that a post with sandbags would be established at the entrance of each police station. Police guards would also be deputed atop the stations. He pointed out that a major strength of the police had been deputed on guard duty with different personalities and at various places.

"We are considering withdrawing guards from several places to increase the strength at police stations. We are also planning installing spy cameras at all police stations," he said.