Sindh cabinet stands by PM on Karachi operation

The Sindh Cabinet in its meeting held here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah at CM House on Saturday acceded to the decisions of the meeting by the prime minister held on May 14 to expedite the ongoing targeted operation with full force and maintain law and order situation in Karachi.

The Sindh Cabinet recommended the federal government for providing financial package up to Rs 27 billion for up gradation of police stations, strengthening and equipping the Sindh police, enabling it to take targeted operation to its success. The Cabinet decided for establishing a separate counter terrorism department providing latest training to the corps of Rapid Response Force (RRF) and doing legislation to clean up the Sindh Police from its black sheep.

The Cabinet meeting which was attended by all the provincial ministers, advisors and special assistants, chief secretary, home secretary, all the secretaries of other departments and senior member of revenue discussed the matters relating to law and order, issues of illegal immigrants, drafts on first power policy of the Sindh government and eradication of polio, measles and Rubella virus from Sindh in details and made decisions with consensus. The Cabinet expressed its satisfaction over the performance of LEAs in implementing targeted operation in Karachi against the terrorist, extortionist and kidnappers without any discrimination.

Declaring 26 police stations of Karachi and three prisons, including Karachi, Hyderabad and Larkana Central prisons as sensitive, the Cabinet approved the decision of Sindh government for increasing salaries of police force at these sensitive police stations and strengthening security with structures and more force at these sensitive central jails.

The Cabinet also decided and directed the IGP for providing fool proof security to all mosques, imam barghas and mandirs/minorities, especially in the interior Sindh. The chief secretary informed the meeting that schemes for shifting of the ATC courts to the Malir Cantt was in the way. He also informed that red warrants against the criminals who had been escaped from the country were sent to the federal government for transmission to the Interpol Police. He informed the meeting that process of recruiting the 10,000 police force, 2,000 army personals, 400 investigation officers was in progress. Out of 705 cases challaned in the ATC, 59 have been decided, he added. He said five convicted prisoners had been shifted to the prisons outside the province and 77 outside Karachi.

Acting IGP Sindh Ghulam Haider Jamali while briefing the Sindh Cabinet meeting informed that due to the targeted operation, 33 percent decrease has been made in murder cases, 65 percent in targeted killings, 6 percent in street crime and 9 percent decrease has been achieved in registration of extortion cases. He said 188 arrested and challaned during the ongoing operation were in jails. Besides, 850 accused wanted in murder cases had also been arrested.

The Sindh Cabinet also discussed and deliberated over first power policy draft tabled by the Advisor to CM for Energy and Finance Syed Murad Ali Shah and it was decided that the Cabinet members would go through the proposed draft and share their recommendations within 15 days.

The first Sindh government power policy draft contained with the proposals for establishment of Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company (STDC) to transmit the power to be generated by Sindh government in future. Besides, establishment of Sindh Power Development Board (SPDB) and NEPRA like institutions with the Sindh government was also proposed to regulate the power to be generated by Sindh in future.

The provincial secretary energy was of the view that the Sindh government was actively launching the power projects on ADP and PPP mode of investment and trying its best at least to cover the power shortage from its own productions before completion of this tenure of the PPP government. It was recommended that renewable energy such as solar energy and wind energy to be encouraged to resolve the grievances of the people.

However, the Sindh Cabinet expressing its apprehension over excess billing and increasing load shedding durations from 16 to 20 hours in interior Sindh, recommended to the federal government to reconcile its billing for justified payment and reduce the duration of load shedding failing which matter would be taken to the CCI meeting.

The Sindh Cabinet expressed its dissatisfaction over the performance of NARA for registration of aliens and eradication of illegal immigrants from Karachi has recommended to the federal government that NARA be merged into the NADRA and NADRA be assigned for this job of NARA. The Cabinet members also expressed their apprehensions over the polio cases and spread of measles at District Thatta and decided a massive vaccination campaign with 100 percent coverage against diseases with public participation till the elimination of these menace.

Addressing the Cabinet meeting, the chief minister said that law and order is at the first priority of his government to convert Karachi into most favourite city of the world. He said Karachi was not only the city of Sindh but it represents whole Pakistan that is why they asked the federal government for financial as well administrative help. He said targeted operation against the terrorists, extortionists and kidnappers were launched with the consultation of all stakeholders of Karachi in September 2013 and since then it was being carried out across the board.

However, if any stakeholder had any reservations, same should be resolved and no one will be allowed to violate the rule of law. He said the gravity of this issue could be gauged from the fact that prime minister presided over the meeting law and order at Karachi which was attended by even the chief of army staff and other top ranking officers and the federal government.

He said though the PPP and the MQM were together, they all (the political parties) should have to give ownership to this targeted operation. The chief minister expressed his reservations over the excess billing and invited the WAPDA authorities justify their bills as the Sindh government was ready only to pay all the amount due against genuine bills.