KARACHI: Sindh Inspector General of Police, Allah Dino Khawaja on Tuesday recalled the police officials sacrifices while fighting terrorists and criminals for bringing peace in the city.
He regretted that the society in the city remained silent when the police officials participating in the operation against terrorists and criminals were shot dead one by one; even in mosques and imam bargahs. He said the murderers of the police officers were later sat on parliament benches.
He observed that not only the government institutions and officers had weakened their role and shown negligence to their duties but the society as a whole had lost social values and responsibilities. Everybody would have to play his due role in the nation building.
“Things would not improve until institutions are not built. Placing right man on the right job is must to get results,” he remarked.
He underlined the need for police reforms making it as a service force for the people instead of suppressing them.
The police system in the country was still running under British Law of 1861; which was meant to control the general public for continuing the British rule in this sub-continent, the IGP said during his interactive session with members of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Chamber.
He was accompanied by Additional Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Mahar and other senior police officers deputed in the city.
President KCCI Shamim Ahmed Firpo, Chairman Businessmen Group at KCCI and former president of the chamber Siraj Kassam Teli, Senior Vice President Asif Nisar, Vice President Muhammad Younas Soomro, KCCI former presidents Muhammad Zubair Motiwala, A.Q.Khalil and Younas M.Bashir were prominent on KCCI side.
The IGP requested the business community especially Karachi Chamber’s leadership to lobby for the police reforms to get better services from the police for ensuring peace, and safety of life and property in particularly in this mega city.
Unless the Police Law 1861 was changed and required reforms are made with this very important department, the police could not rise and meet the expectations of 21st century, he asserted.
When his attention was drawn to politicizing of police in the past which had allegedly damaged the police system for good deliverance to public, the IGP told the business community that he had taken certain concrete steps to strengthen the police in Sindh including its de-politicizing and recruitment of new police officials purely on merit.
“Most of the steps taken by me are irreversible,” he re-assured adding that for the first time 20,000 police officials were selected through a system based on CPLC, NTS and Pakistan Army. Some 4,000 of them would join the police force here after completing their training at army facilities on February 10, and another batch of 6000 would leave on 15th February for the same training.
He also informed that 1800 police officials, dismissed earlier on the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan for not maintaining the legal procedure/formalities, were being re-inducted into the Sindh reserve police after passing through standard test/exam system because they had already completed the police training. This would strengthen SRP force and help in curbing the crime.
“Only those clearing the test and interview would be taken back,” he explained.
Allah Dino Khwaja said in June 2017, efficient reporting rooms each would be set up at all Police Stations in the city. 15 police reporting service was also being totally outsourced.
About the issuance of driving licenses, IGP said that for the first time, the system had been linked electronically. Now, one could have the required data abut getting and issuance of licenses on smartphone. One could apply through on-line system and could get verify the license sitting in any other country through smart mobile or other on-line systems.
He informed that driving license office in Clifton had been totally automated. Every test for issuing a license would be computer based.
Other licenses offices in the province would soon be modernized, he said.
Responding to complaints by the businessmen about street crimes in the city, he admitted that it was a big concern. He called for joint efforts — police and society- to understand the components of street crime and chalk out the modalities to control it.
IGP proposed for form a focal committee of stakeholder to help police review the system for better police performance.
“You, business community, are the major stakeholder,” he remarked.
In Punjab, he said, all the stakeholder chalked out a plan to bring changes in the police system.
Like in Punjab, Karachi needs educated wardens with Sub-inspector rank to control traffic on roads. The first place for the people to interact with the police was roads. Instead of non-educated policemen, they should interact with educated officials on roads, he said.
President KCCI Shamim Ahmed Firpo, Chairman BMG Siraj Kassam Teli, former presidents KCCI Muhammad Zubair Motiwala and A.Q.Khalil, and representatives of market associations of the city apprised the Inspector General of Police of law and order issues the traders and industrialists were facing.
They acknowledged the law enforcing agencies efforts and that law and order situation had improved. However, they demanded, much was needed to be done to control street crimes in the city.
