KARACHI, Jan 23: FIR forms would now be available to people at public places from next month, with the introduction of new police reforms.
The provincial suo-moto committee, constituted under the directives of the chief Justice of the Supreme Court, has recommended action against all those officials who have failed to submit challans in cases beyond 15 days — a mandatory period for submitting a challan in the court against an accused.
This was disclosed by Sindh Home Secretary Brig Mukhtar Ahmad while speaking at a press conference on Wednesday at Tughlaq House.
Speaking about police reforms, the home secretary said the purpose of these reforms under the devolution plan was to provide relief to the common man.
The purpose of giving police under the control of elected Nazims was to change the perception of police by making police service responsive and efficient in controlling crimes, he said.
Speaking about recruitments in the police, he dispelled the impression that people from other provinces were being recruited in the Sindh police. “Nobody will be recruited from outside Sindh,” he said.
Brig Mukhtar said the law and order situation was now better than what used to be six months back in the province.
He said the newly-created Crime Investigation Department, which specially deals with cases of terrorism, had made a good progress and had traced four people involved in sectarian killings.
He, however, said that time would be required for the arrest of rest of the 11 accused. He said that Mufti Shahid Hamid had been arrested and he had confessed to have killed five people. Another wanted man Rashid Andha had also been arrested.
Regarding arrests being made in the province after the imposition of a ban on four religious organisations, he dispelled the impression that 2,000 persons had, so far, been arrested and said the police have taken 400 religious activists into custody and a majority of them had been sent to jail under MPO.
Speaking about religious institutions, he said that there were 1,248 religious schools (Madressahs) in the province with 248,000, students. Of these institutions, 875 Madaris were in Karachi with 226,000 students, including 11,000 foreign students.
He denied having banned any Madressah and said new syllabus and code of conduct and ethics for these institutions had been prepared so that their students after completion of their courses not only become Pesh-Imams, but could serve other organisations after learning science, technology and other modern subjects.
Speaking about dacoits in interior of Sindh, he said except in Larkana and Sukkur, where there were cases of two abductions, situation had been brought under control following the on-going operation against outlaws.
Between Nov 27 and Jan 5, he said, nine encounters had taken place in which 28 proclaimed offenders had been arrested, with 47 absconders and 56 patharidars while nine dacoits had been killed and 49 nabbed in these operations.
He said most of the forests which used to be sanctuaries of outlaws had been taken under control. Dacoit Bachlo, who was active in Jacobabad area, was also being chased in the forest. His son and brother had already been arrested and the law enforcement agencies are continuing their operation against him.
Additional Home Secretary Iqbal Deewan, who was present on the occasion, said so far three meetings had been held of the suo-moto committee, and during these meetings, some cases came to limelight in which investigation police officials had failed to submit challans in courts.
Mr Deewan said that the committee had recommended to the IGP to take disciplinary action against all such police officials who wilfully did not submit challans during the mandatory period.
He said under the directives, un-announced inspection of police stations and prisons had been carried out.