President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday stressed on rehabilitating criminals from riverine (katcha) areas who have surrendered to authorities, calling for steps to gradually bring them into the mainstream.
Chairing a meeting on the law and order situation in Sindh in Sukkur, he stressed that any katcha criminals who weren’t hardened criminals and were willing to surrender to the state should be gradually rehabilitated to make them responsible and productive citizens. Hardcore criminals, he stressed, should face stern action.
During the meeting, the president also emphasized the need to improve the road, health, and education infrastructure of kacha areas on a priority basis to improve the region’s socioeconomic conditions. He proposed the formation of a Jirga comprising tribal chiefs to engage and negotiate with the local population to bring normalcy, prevent crimes, and improve the security situation of katcha areas.
According to an official statement, Zardari received a briefing on the law and order situation in Sindh and the implementation status of directions he had issued during a previous meeting on May 1. He was told crimes and violence in Sindh, especially in Karachi and kacha areas, was on the decline thanks to the effective strategy adopted by police and Rangers.
The provincial police chief told the president activities of dacoits had visibly reduced and no highways-related crime had been reported in the past two months. He further said targeted operations and installation of smart cameras had helped control crimes and identify and arrest criminals and their abettors.
The director-general of Rangers told the meeting hundreds of dacoits and criminals were arrested through 133 joint operations conducted by police and Rangers. He said additional checkposts were established in various parts of kacha areas to control crime.
The meeting’s participants were further informed that a campaign against drug peddlers was intensified on the directions of the president, with 308 drug suppliers arrested and smart cameras installed to monitor the entry points of the province.
The president, per the statement, said the Sindh government should focus on raising a police force along modern lines to effectively meet prevailing security challenges and requirements of the province. He also sought the strengthening of the capacity of Sindh Police with modern equipment and weapons, adequate human resources, and logistics. He said police officials should be incentivized. “We also need to encourage women to join Sindh Police,” he said, adding the welfare of the families and children of martyrs of Sindh Police should be ensured.
Zardari urged relevant officials to expedite the upgradation of Sakrand Police Commando School and designate land for the establishment of a Cadet College for Police. He said select students of the Cadet College should be educated and trained to join the Sindh Police. He also appreciated the performance of the Sindh government, police and Rangers in controlling crime and improving the security situation of the province.
Apart from the president, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi; MNA Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah; Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah; Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Waqar Qadir Shah; Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon; Sindh Minister for Planning and Development Syed Nasir Hussain Shah; Home, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar; Sindh Additional Chief Secretary Muhammad Iqbal Memon; Sindh Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon; Sindh Rangers Director General Maj. Gen. Azhar Waqas, and other senior officials attended the meeting.