-Terrorists were not checked at any point between their area of residence and Chinese consulate, says CM Murad
–High-tech CCTV cameras to be installed in the localities of the consulates on CM’s directions
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed law enforcement agencies in the port city to speed up intelligence-based targeted operations against terrorists in the city.
He passed the order while presiding over special law and order meeting here at the CM House on Friday.
The meeting was attended by Advisor to the CM Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Inspector general (IG) Police Dr Kaleem Imam, Home Secretary Kazi Kabir, Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shahelwani, Karachi Additional IG Ameer Shaikh, representatives of Pakistan Rangers, provincial head of intelligence agencies and a representative of 5-Corp.
“The attempt to attack the Chinese consulate shows that still there are abettors of the terrorists in the city and we have to eliminate them,” said the Sindh CM.
He said that the terrorists, equipped with weapons and explosives, must have stayed somewhere in the city and travelled from the place of their stay to Clifton but were not checked anywhere. “This shows that our road checking system needs to be more effective and stricter,” he said while directing Additional IG Ameer Shaikh to initiate snap checks in the city.
IG Kaleem Imam while briefing the CM on the recent attack on the consulate said: “At about 9.30 am on November 23, unknown armed terrorists attacked the Chinese Consulate situated near the tomb of Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Block-4, Clifton with explosives and grenades. Sindh Police Special Security Unit (SSU) and Pakistan Rangers reached the place of the incident. During the counter operation, all three terrorists were killed. Two civilians died while one private security guard sustained injuries during the incident, all three were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).”
The chief minister directed the IG police to get the incident investigated properly. “This must be investigated as the high profile cases of Safoora Chowrangi and others,” he said.
Those who were killed in the incident include Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Ashraf Dawood and constable Mohammad Amir as well as two civilians from Quetta, Niaz Mohammad, son of Abdul Karim and Zaheer Shah, son of Niaz Mohammad. Private security guard Mohammad Juaman also sustained serious injuries.
The chief minister directed the IG police to look after the families of the policemen who valiantly laid their lives in the line of their duty and also make necessary arrangements for shifting of the bodies of both the civilians to their hometown in Balochistan.
Additional IG Ameer Shaikh informed that ammunition recovered from the site includes slabs of C4, two explosive materials, batteries, chemicals, two bottles of RGD-I grenades, seven RGD-5 grenades, two SMGs and rounds which would be counted. “All the ammunition has been defused,” he assured.
The chief minister directed the IG police to conduct an audit of all diplomatic consulates and install high tech CCTV cameras in the localities of the consulates.
VISIT TO CHINESE CONSULATE:
Minutes after the attack on the Chinese Consulate, CM Murad called on Consul General of China Wang Yu and inquired about his well-being.
He then rushed to the spot and met with the Wang Yu and his staff personally. He told them that the security was good enough to thwart the attack.
“I have remained in touch with the IG Police and DG Rangers until the situation was brought under control,” he assured Wang Yu.
The Chinese consul general thanked the chief minister for his prompt action and also lauded the efforts of the law enforcement agencies in controlling the situation.
Afterwards, the IG Police briefed the chief minister and Wang Yu about the incident. “Clifton station house officer (SHO) and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Suhai Aziz fought bravely when the terrorists attempted to attack the consulate. SSP Investigation Tariq Dharejo and Pak Rangers also rushed to the crime scene within minutes and killed all three terrorists,” he said.
The chief minister called SSP Suhai and lauded her bravery and prompt action. “Our women are brave and can work with a shoulder to shoulder with men,” he said adding that SSP Suhai has proved this.
Later the chief minister talked to media and told them about the incident and the action taken against them.
FUNERAL PRAYERS:
After attending the funeral prayer of both the policemen who lost their lives while fighting with the terrorists, chief minister Murad Ali Shah met with their family members and assured them of the government’s support.
“The provincial government would look after you properly, you are not alone- we are with you,” the CM told the aggrieved families.