KARACHI: Caretaker Chief Minister Sindh Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar said that total of 1,15,500 policemen have been assigned to perform security duty during upcoming general election.

These police officers will be responsible for maintaining law and order on 191 seats, including 61 National Assembly seats and 130 provincial assembly seats. Election is scheduled to take place on February 8.

Responding to questions asked by participants of PN Staff Course of Pakistan Navy War College who called on him here he stated that treatment plants were being installed to release treated waste and industrial water into sea, which would help control pollution in seawater. Additionally, Sindh government has planted one million mangrove plants in sea. Mangroves are natural infrastructure that helps protect nearby populated areas by reducing erosion and absorbing storm surge impacts during extreme weather events such as hurricanes.

To another question, he said that his government has initiated several schemes to mitigate impact of climate change. During presentation to staff course, IG Police Riffat Mukhtar highlighted key challenges faced by law enforcement in Pakistan. He noted that street crime in urban areas, particularly in Karachi and lawlessness in katcha areas of Kashmore, Shikarpur, Ghotki and Sukkur were significant issues. When discussing street crime, IG identified mobile phone/cash snatching, vehicle theft/snatching, house robberies, murders and extortion as major issues. Despite fluctuations in rate of street crime, it remains chronic urban issue.

Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam suggested that criminal justice system needs reform, specifically with regard to urban street crime. He said launching of Karachi Safe City Project, along with increasing technical capacity of police, would help resolve matter.

IG told participants that there were four major heads of crime in katcha area such as kidnapping for ransom through honey trapping and forced kidnapping, highway robberies, tribal feuds and smuggling of smuggling.

Chairman of Planning and Development Shakil Mangejo briefed participants on development portfolio of Sindh province. He informed that Sindh has vast resources, including 184 billion tonnes of coal reserves, producing 3,300 MW of electricity, 2,100 MMCFD gas, 8.049 million barrels of oil, 1.862 million bales of cotton, 3.9 MMTs of wheat, 2.58 MMTs of rice, 18.335 MMTs of sugarcane, 46.2 million livestock, and 57,000 km of road networks.

Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, Chairman P&D and IG Police also responded to questions of participants of staff course. Commandant of Pakistan Navy War College Rear Admiral Azhar Mahmood thanked interim CM Baqar for giving time to participants and responding to their questions. Brig (retd) Haris Nawaz, Mubeen Jumani, Omar Soomro, Ahmad Shah, Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam and provincial secretaries attended meeting.

Published in The Daily National Courier, January, 11 2024

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