The Karachi Safe City Project is set to receive its first shipment of CCTV cameras from China by the end of June 2024. Alongside the cameras, poles equipped with complete solar solutions for their installation will also be arriving, marking a significant step forward in the city’s security enhancement efforts.
This development was announced during a meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to review the progress of the Safe City Project, operations against dacoits in the Riverine area, and the crackdown on street criminals. The meeting also focused on strengthening the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and was held at the CM House on Friday. The session saw the presence of senior officials, including Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon, Minister Home Zia Lanjar, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Principal Secretary to the CM Agha Wasif, Home Secretary Iqbal Memon, IG Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, Secretary Law Ali Ahmad Baloch, Secretary Excise Saleem Rajput, and DIG CTD Asif Aijaz Shaikh, among others.
Chief Minister Shah emphasized the need for robust prosecution of street criminals to enhance public safety. The acquisition of the right-of-way for optic cables necessary for the project’s infrastructure is also in progress, ensuring comprehensive connectivity for the Safe City initiative. The meeting underscored the government’s commitment to improving Karachi’s security through technological advancements and stringent law enforcement measures.
The CM was told that the CCTV Cameras would be shipped from China to Pakistan on June 30, 2024, and the poles with the complete solar solution being shipped from Lahore to Karachi by the end of next week. Fiber Optic Cable with allied accessories has been procured and Right Of Way (ROW) for 80 priority sites has been applied. However, excavation and digging will start immediately after obtaining ROW. To a question, the CM was told that 30 per cent of the networking equipment would reach Karachi by 26th June however the remaining 70 per cent [of equipment] would be shipped from China on June 30, 2024. The four-by-four Emergency Response Vehicles (ERV) are available in Karachi with communication equipment installed in them, however, more ERVs will be moved from Haripur NRTC HQ to Karachi with mobile surveillance equipment next week.
The CM said that the police have started patrolling in the city, but it must be intensified further. Intelligence-based operations against the street criminals and drug mafia need to be strengthened further. Murad Shah directed the Minister of Home & Law to prosecute street criminals properly. “I want them languishing in the jails and making their examples,” he said and directed the IG police to make a list of all the street criminals and share it with other agencies and all the police stations so that they could be arrested. The IG police said that the street crime has been brought down but still it needed to be controlled further. Operation against dacoits: The Chief Minister was informed that experienced SSPs have been posted to Shikarpur, Ghotki, and Kashmore districts to enhance the effectiveness of the anti-dacoit operations in the Kacha Area. Around 200 RRF personnel or 14 Platoons have been placed in districts Shikarpur, Ghotki and Kashmore for Kacha Area operation. The Sindh Police & Rangers have been conducting intelligence-based joint Operations in the Kacha Area.
The CM directed the IG Police to conduct special training of the policemen participating in the operation in the Riverine areas. At this the IG Police told the CM that training of the policemen at Katcha has been started. They were using light weapons like pistols, and MP-5s and heavy weapons like SMG and G3 Rifles were being used for training. Minister Home Zia Lanjar told the CM that to combat criminals in the Katcha area and provide aerial support to the police troops engaged in the operation against gangs of criminals, the police have procured 14 Drones for the affected districts – Sukkur, Ghotki, Kashmore and Shikarpur. He requested the CM for approval to procure more drones for the police. The CM approved the procurement of 20 more Drones with a detection range of two km from Wah Industries. He directed the IG Police to provide training to the policemen for operating drones. The CM was told that the policemen participating in the operation against the dacoits had been trained in snipper shooting. Strengthening CTD: The CM said that he has already approved Rs2.8 billion to construct Regional Complexes for CTD at Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana. He directed IG Police to speed up work on the construction of the buildings. The IG police told the CM that Software and Forensic tools have been acquired and installed at the CTD Center, Karachi.
He said that the CTD Fusion Center is ready with seven Software. The CM said he had already released Rs 400 million out of the Rs 783 million approved. The IGP said that the funds were utilized for procurement of the software and other equipment. The CM said that he would visit the CTD centre to witness the performance functions of the software and forensic tools. Minister Home Zia Lanjar told the CM that the follow-up of Counter Terrorism cases in courts has improved considerably leading to better convictions. System of reward/incentive on each conviction and accountability on acquittal (in case of negligent investigation). A special prosecutor has been posted in CTD Karachi for the first time. At this, the CM directed the Home Minister to post dedicated special prosecutors at CTD Hyderabad and Sukkur to oversee the cases of Interior Sindh. The CM was told that in 2023 there were only seven convictions while this year, 2-24 11 convictions have been made.
