KARACHI, June 2: Chief Minister Sardar Ali Mohammad Mahar on Wednesday announced removal of the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Asad Ashraf Malik with immediate effect.

He made the decision public while talking to mediamen after presiding over a high level meeting at the Central Police Office. The chief minister said that the removal of Saddar TPO Sanaullah Abbasi and Jamshed TPO Fayyaz Qureshi forthwith had also been decided.

"Some efficient and alert police officials will be given the posts," said Mr Mahar, making it clear that there could be no compromise on the issue of law and order and more steps would soon be taken in this regard.

Earlier, while presiding over the meeting of police department the chief minister declared that the conspiracy to aggravate the situation in Karachi would be crushed with an iron hand.

Strict action would be taken against the police officials showing any negligence so that restoration of peaceful conditions in the city and protection to the life and property of people could be ensured, he said.

He told the participants: "Whatever occurs in Karachi, has an impact on the overall situation in the country. The recent acts of terrorism there deserve any amount of condemnation."

These incidents, he added, had affected the index of Karachi Stock Exchange, an institution of great significance in Asia. He categorically told the police officials that he wanted to see an improved law and order, and warned that slackness, negligence or irresponsibility would not at all be tolerated.

Expressing his dissatisfaction over the situation in the city, Mr Mahar stressed the need for a better performance by police, greater coordination among them, an understanding between various police departments and attainment of better results to be analyzed on a daily basis.

"We have to bring all our resources together to restore people's confidence," said Mr Mahar, adding that those having the responsibilities to maintain law and order would have to give up their rest time for busting the network of terrorism and eliminate terrorists, anti-state elements, anti-social forces and anti-people wolves.

He also called for better performance on the part of various intelligence wings of police department, besides an improved working by the CID. A strict vigil, he added, would have to be kept on such elements in order to thwart their designs aimed against innocent people.

The CM directed all DPOs and TPOs to give up their rest time and show better performance in discharging their duties. In this regard, he directed police personnel to intensify patrolling, particularly during night hours, and told senior officials to make sure that their juniors remained alert and perform their duties efficiently.

He expressed the view that the performance shown by senior police officials and their force was not up to the mark. "Bad performance by a few blurs good performance by others," he remarked.

Mr Mahar said he intended to take important decisions to restore peace in Karachi. He made it clear that henceforth, appointment of police officials would be made on merit only and no recommendation would be considered in this regard.

The CM lauded the performance of the CID and said that success could be ensured through the services of the department. He held out the assurance that CID's requirements would be met in order to make it more functional.

Mr Mahar directed the participants of the meeting that protective measures be kept in mind and public liaison be enhanced through media as no success could be achieved without people's cooperation. Reiterating that terrorism could no more be tolerated, he pledged that police would be provided with security equipment, cameras, weapons, etc. soon.

He said that maintaining peace was the government's foremost responsibility and a plan in this regard would soon be announced. The chief minister also presided over another meeting in the office of the IG Police.

MEETING WITH ULEMA: Chief Minister Sardar Ali Mohammad Mahar on Tuesday visited the Jamiatul Uloom Al-Islamiyyah, Binnori Town, and met its administrator Dr Abdul Razzaq Iskandar. Others present on the occasion included Dr Azizuddin, Maulana Taqiuddin Shamzai, Qari Mohammed Usman and Hafiz Abdul Qayyum Nomani.