KARACHI, May 31: The Sindh police killed 35 dacoits during its anti-dacoit operation carried out in different parts of the province from January 1 to May 15 this year.

Disclosing this, the Inspector-General of Police, Syed Kamal Shah, told APP in an interview that the dacoits killed included those on whose head the Sindh government had announced handsome rewards.

During this period, the IGP pointed out, the police had 141 encounters, including 59 in Karachi and 70 in Sukkur regions, in which 35 gangs were busted.

He said these encounters claimed the lives of 13 officers and jawans, while 24 sustained injuries.

Kamal Shah said that during the period the police arrested 381 proclaimed offenders, 4,341 absconders, 143 patharidars, and 76 military deserters.

As regards the recovery of arms, he said the police were able to recover 121 Kalashnikovs, 1,408 pistols, 425 revolvers, 82 rifles, 301 shotguns, five rocket-launchers, four hand-grenades, 10,043 rounds and 7,126 cartridges. He said the highest recovery was made in the Sukkur range.

To a question, the Sindh police chief said that from 1992 to 2002, the police registered 1,759 cases of terrorism, out of which 926 were booked with convictions in 48 cases, while 779 trials were pending and 119 were awaiting investigation. He said the detection percentage of the cases stood at 52.64.

Regarding killing of doctors since 1989, he said 64 cases were registered, out of which 34 were detected and 30 challans submitted in courts with two convictions. He said 25 cases were pending trial and another 14 were pending investigation.

To a question, he informed that in 21 cases the motives was sectarian, terrorism in 25 cases, enmity in ten cases, four doctors were killed during crimes, like dacoity and carjacking, while in four cases family disputes contributed to the killings.

The IGP said that modern wireless sets and vehicles were being purchased to meet the transport and communication needs of the police. He said within two months all the police stations in the province would have their own vehicles.

He pointed out that the federal government had provided Rs360 million for purchase of vehicles. With this amount the police department was purchasing 383 Toyota pickups, 500 motorcycles and 29 cars while 45 Toyota pickups, 610 motorcycles, ten prison vans, ten trucks, six cars were being purchased with the amount of Rs107 million provided by provincial government.

Besides, he said, the police already had 1,351 Toyota pickups which is 78 per cent of the total fleet.

He said the provincial government had allocated Rs43 million for procurement of wireless equipment which include 834 mobile sets, 600 walkie-talkies, 60 base sets and 45 generators.

Speaking about ACLC, Syed Kamal Shah said that after reorganization, its command had been upgraded with one SSP and two SPs, besides computerization for transfer of data from the CPLC.

The police chief said that car-tracking system was being introduced, 39 check posts being established at various exit and entry points of Karachi.

He said that ACLC units had been established in all the districts of Sindh and dedicated officers posted as a step to develop functional expertise.—APP