HYDERABAD, Jan 31: The new police system, Hyderabad region, comprising four districts of Hyderabad and three of Mirpurkhas divisions, will start functioning from Friday (today) with special prayers before the Almighty to give the police force courage to come upto the expectations of the people.

The new system is part and parcel of police reforms being worked out for the last two years.

The system envisages important changes to improve quality of investigation, detection and prevention, by policemen.

During his visit to the province on Dec 27, President Gen Pervez Musharraf is said to have appreciated the scheme, put forward by the Sindh Police chief about the new police system.

Earlier, Sindh province comprised Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana ranges. But now the ranges have been done away with and there would be only two regions, i.e. Hyderabad and Sukkur, as Mirpurkhas and Larkana ranges have been merged with Hyderabad and Sukkur ranges respectively.

Each region is headed by Additional I.G. Police.

DIG Hyderabad Abdul Rauf Yusufzai has been promoted as the first AIG police of Hyderabad region which includes seven districts, each headed by District Police Officer (DPO).

The districts included Hyderabad, Dadu, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Thatta, and Tharparkar.

Akbar Arain has been appointed as the DIG, Operation, and three AIGs would be assisting the Additional IG on the affairs of establishment, welfare, finance, and investigation.

Great emphasis has been laid on the welfare of policemen which is why a separate Assistant IG Police would be looking after this department.

There would be only one Prosecution DSP.

Previously all these tasks were being looked after by the DIG Police range in each division. Now this way the powers and works have been decentralized.