The provincial government has given a free hand to the DG Rangers and IG Police regarding operation against criminals and terrorists in Karachi but the citizens should not be disturbed during the operation, said Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah during his three-hour long address in the Sindh Assembly on Saturday.
The chief minister lamented that law enforcers sometimes created unnecessary problems. “The Federal Investigation Agency harassed the government, raided Civic Centre and took away 16,000 files,” he said.
On a lighter note, he said: “I do not know how to use a gun but security forces have nominated me in 29 murder cases.”
The chief minister said security situation in Sindh’s capital was satisfactory before the last two incidents that include Sabri’s killing and abduction of Owais Ali Shah.
The chief minister further recalled that Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif had stated that terrorists were likely to take shelter in Karachi after Operation Zarb-e-Azb in Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
He thanked the army chief for helping to restore law and order in Karachi. Similarly, he said the prime minister had also appreciated the improvement in law and order situation.
He said the cases of target killings, extortion, terrorist activities and kidnapping for ransom had significantly come down. He said only two cases of kidnapping for ransoms were reported this year as compared to hundreds three years ago. He said in target killings, 400 policemen and 40 Rangers embraced martyrdom. Police had been provided modern training and now its members were ready to take bullets to their chests, he added.
Shah said last year Rs 60 billion were spent on police force and 20,000 constables were inducted through public service commission without political consideration.
He contradicted allegations of indulging in political vindictiveness and said they always worked for supremacy of law which caused restoration of law and order in the city. He said maximum killings took place during the operation in Lyari, Mangopir and Malir – the areas not having majority of Urdu speaking.
After raid at Nine Zero, although slogans of “Go Rangers go” were raised but those arrested from the MQM’s headquarters were involved in the killing of a journalist, the CM said. “Target killings take place in Peshawar almost daily but there are no calls for strike,” Shah said referring to MQM’s calls for strike in the city.
Opposition MQM protested when the Chief Minister referred to the incident of 12th May when former Chief Justice visited Karachi.
