As many as 175 precious human lives have been lost in the incidents of target killings only in the month of August, Sindh police said on Thursday.
“The toll is higher than that of the last month of July, and those who fell prey to politically-motivated assassinations include over 58 police personnel during the current year,” the sources said.
“Target killing usually starts after eight every evening,” Additional Inspector General (AIG) Sindh Police Iqbal Mehmood Thursday told the industrial community during a luncheon meeting at Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI).
The AIG said it was very difficult for the insufficient number of police personnel to effectively control crime rate in the congested metropolis.
He informed that out of 29,000 police personnel about 8,000 to 9,000 were on VIP protocol duty. “As a consequence of the shortage of security personnel, many important places are difficult to monitor,” he maintained.
Iqbal Mehmood, however, hoped that police force would be enhanced soon and new vehicles were being purchased. He said that a Crime Monitoring Cell (CMC) would also be established in all seven industrial estates of the city. The AIG assured the industrialists that the police would soon be equipped with mobile locaters to effectively curb cases of extortion and kidnapping for ransom in the violence-hit metropolis.
He said further that the Neighborhood Watch Program (NWP) initiated by KATI and PTA in collaboration with CPLC would be fully supported by the police department and vehicles and police force would be duly provided for this ambitious plan.
He also promised that the police vehicles which were withdrawn from Korangi Industrial Area (KIA) earlier would soon be returned.
The AIG announced to enhance police personnel for smooth flow of traffic in KIA. He said encroachments on Road 5000 along National Refinery would be removed within a couple of days. He instantly ordered SSP Police Korangi to comply with the orders accordingly.
Earlier, Patron In-Chief KATI S M Muneer expressed his concerns over increasing cases of extortion and kidnapping for ransom that, he said, had made it next to impossible for the business community to continue with doing business peacefully.
He complained that some political parties were also involved in the extortion cases in the city which was alarming. Muneer also said that police officials complain that whenever they apprehend a criminal, they immediately get a phone-call from influential personalities to release him.
Chairman KATI Ehtesham Uddin demanded to reinforce police patrolling in KIA so that street crimes in the area were controlled. He further demanded to enhance traffic police in the area for smooth traffic flow.
President All Karachi Industrial Alliance Mian Zahid Hussain said that “Bhatta Mafia” was now sending bullets and hand grenades along with “bhatta” demand. He lamented the fact that despite the lapse of six months’ time, the Karachi police were yet to receive mobile locaters. “The police should be equipped electronically so that the extortionists and kidnappers are kept under check effectively,” he added.
He further suggested the AIG to also equip all the city police stations with broadband and emailing system to improve their efficiency. Chairman Law and Order Committee Nadeem Khan and member Zubair Chhaya requested to provide infrastructure for Neighborhood Watch Program in Sector 7-A.
