Karachi, The Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, announced new measures to curb street crime and monitor the sale of stolen or snatched goods in Karachi, including the establishment of police pickets to contain dacoits along the Right Bank of the Indus River. The announcement came during the 30th Apex Committee meeting at CM House, where officials discussed strategies to control street crime and improve security across the province.
According to Chief Minister Sindh, CM Shah’s plan includes strict monitoring of markets selling stolen or snatched mobile phones and vehicle parts. He also mentioned that recovery of ransom from families of kidnapped individuals would be considered terror financing, with legal action against those facilitating ransom collections. These measures aim to address increasing incidents of crime on the M9 and N5 national highways.
The meeting was attended by several key officials, including Provincial Minister for Information Sharjeel Memon, Home Minister Zia Lanjar, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, and IG Police Ghulam Nabi Memon. They discussed policing strategies to reduce street crime, focusing on improved deployment and surveillance.
The Chief Minister instructed the IG Police to reactivate the Shaheen Force, with a dedicated motorcycle squad patrolling crime hotspots during peak hours. Additionally, the police department was directed to revamp Madadgar-15, with an additional 168 vehicles, including 120 motorbikes, to enhance police capability. CM Shah also suggested E-tagging repeat offenders, with a pilot project involving 4,000 devices.
Regarding the dacoit problem, Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar informed the meeting that the left bank of the River Indus has seen significant security improvements. However, the focus is now on strengthening the right bank to secure the Shikarpur and Kashmore districts. The Chief Minister also directed efforts to expedite the construction of the Ghotki-Kandhkot bridge to aid security operations.
The meeting highlighted the anti-smuggling operations led by the Chief Collector Custom, South, where 642 seizures of smuggled goods worth Rs. 5184 million were made between January and April. This included contributions from Rangers and police. CM Shah commended the coordination between various law enforcement agencies.
The Chief Minister also mentioned an awareness campaign in colleges and universities to prevent drug use, with 164 cases registered in recent months leading to 166 arrests and the seizure of various narcotics, alcohol, and other contraband.
These measures underscore Sindh’s commitment to curbing street crime and ensuring safety across the province through strict enforcement and improved inter-agency coordination.