KARACHI : Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah Wednesday warned stern action againstcriminals and lawbreakers irrespective of their political linkages, so as to improve law and order situation in the province, especially Karachi.
Addressing a press conference after chairing a high-level meeting of law and enforcement agencies at CM House to review the overall law and order situation in the province, he claimed target killings in the province were on decline. He said the Sindh Police have taken sound measures to maintain the law and order.
Qaim Shah said that the Sindh Police were trying their best to curb heinous crimes like target killings, kidnapping for ransom, robberies and other serious offenses. He claimed that the target killings incidents had decreased in Karachi during last few weeks. He, however, admitted that 125 people were killed in target killings in Karachi during last three months. He added that 80percent of the accused were detected by police and law enforcers, while some cases were still under investigation.
Chief Minister said that 65 cases of target killings were reported in the month of March and 15 othersin April. He said that the police had 613 encounters with criminals in last three months, adding 98 gangs of criminals were busted and several accused arrested.
He said the police recovered 21 abductees after shootouts including 09 hostages belonging to Punjab. He said 10 kidnappers were killed in these encounters. He said 26 cases of kidnapping for ransom were reported in Karachi alone and the police solved 19 of them.
Qaim Shah said the police have arrested 1182 accused including 40 hardened criminals and 22 kidnappersincluding criminals having Rs1.5million head-money.
He informed that 41 extortionists were operating in Karachi, adding 25 cases of extortions have been detected by police. He said that six complaint centers have been established in Sindh to enhance the performance of police.
The activists of banned outfits were also arrested by police and huge quantity of explosives recoveredfrom them including rockets and hand grenades.Qaim Shah said that the civil society and media should play their role to maintain law and order situation in Karachi.
To a question about the deadlines given by Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PMLF), he said that the Pakistan Peoples’ Party would take on board all collation partnersaccording to its ‘reconciliation agenda’.
Information Minister Sindh Sharjeel Memon and CCPO Karachi Saud Mirza and were also present.
