Caretaker cabinet decides to launch operation against criminals

• The cabinet  decided to launch operation in Riverine area.
• The crackdown against  street criminals in Karachi city.
• 12,886 cases of street crime registered during 2023.

KARACHI: The provincial caretaker cabinet in its first formal meeting decided to launch a comprehensive joint operation with the Army and rangers to clear hideouts of dacoits, start a crackdown on organized weapon smuggling gangs, and strengthen intelligence gathering, and deny cyber and digital space to criminals in the Riverine area.

The cabinet also decided to curb street crime in the city by launching operations against street criminals and the drug mafia.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (rtd) Maqbool Baqar here at CM House.

Minister Home Brig (retd) Hariz Nawaz and IG Police Riffat Mukhtar briefed the cabinet on overall law & order, including kidnapping for ransom in the katcha area, street crime, and drug mafia.

Sharing the data of 20123, the CM was told that 218 people were kidnapped, of them, 207 have been recovered and 11 were still in the clutches of the baits.

To a question, the CM was told that when the incumbent IG police took over there were 57 kidnappings, out of them he got 46 recovered and efforts were underway to recover the remaining 11 persons.

CM directed the IG Police to recover the outstanding 11 kidnappees and report him. He also urged him to direct the local police to keep in touch with the families of the kidnapped persons and keep them informed about the police efforts.

The cabinet was told that the dacoits in the Katcha area of four districts, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Ghotki, and Sukkur were holed up in inaccessible hideouts fortified by trenches and ditches.

The dacoits have long-range military-grade weapons effective against APCs. In the monsoon and kharif season flow of Indus flows in low and medium floods.

IG police told the cabinet that they have a plan to establish 390 police posts in the four districts along the protective bund. The police would be equipped with the latest weapons and gadgets.

The cabinet decided to launch a joint operation with police, Rangers, and Pak Army to clear dacoits’ hideouts. A crackdown would also be started against organized weapons smuggling gangs involved in supplying weapons to the dacoits.

The cabinet was told that 12,886 cases of street crime have been registered during 2023. The registered cases include 3178 mobile snatchings, 93 four-wheeler snatching, 758 four-wheeler theft, 2143 two-wheeler snatching, and 3457 two-wheeler theft.

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CM directed the IG Police to enhance police patrolling and start operations against street criminals. The police stations where more street crimes were taking place may be replaced with energetic and effective policemen.