Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: The Sindh Cabinet in its meeting held here under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah at CM House Karachi today, acceded the decisions of the meeting by Prime Minister of Pakistan held on May 14, 2014 at Karachi to expedite the ongoing targeted operation with full force and maintain Law & Order situation in Karachi. The Sindh Cabinet recommended Federal Government for providing financial package up to Rs. 27 billion for up gradation of Police stations, strengthening & equipping the Sindh Police , enabling it to take targeted operation to its success. The Cabinet decided for establishing a separate Counter Terrorism Department, providing latest training to the corps of Rapid Response Force (RRF) and doing legislation to clean up the Sindh Police from its black sheeps.
The Cabinet meeting which was attended by All the Provincial Ministers, Advisors and Special Assistants, Chief Secretary Sindh, Home Secretary, all Secretaries of other departments and Senior Member of Revenue discussed the matters relating to law & order, issues of illegal immigrants, drafts on 1st power policy of Sindh Government and eradication of Polio, measles and Rubella virus from Sindh in details and made decisions with consensus. The Cabinet expressed its satisfaction over the performance of LEAs in implementing targeted operation in Karachi against the terrorist, extortionist and kidnappers without any discrimination. Declaring 26 Police stations of Karachi and three prisons, including Karachi, Hyderabad and Larkana Central prisons as sensitive, the Cabinet approved the decision of Sindh Government for increasing salaries of Police force at these sensitive Police Stations and strengthening security with structures and more force at these sensitive central jails. The Cabinet also decided and directed the IGP Sindh for providing fool proof security to all mosques, imam barghas and mandirs/ minorities specially in the interior Sindh. The Chief Secretary Sindh informed the meeting that schemes for shifting of the ATC Courts to the Malir Cantt was in the way. He also informed that red warrants against the criminals who have been escaped from the country sent to the Federal Government for onward transmission to the Interpol Police. He informed the meeting that process of recruiting the 10,000 Police force, 2000 army personals, 400 investigation officers was in progress. He said that out of 705 cases challaned in the ATC, 59 have been decided. He said that 05 convicted prisoners have been shifted to the prisons outside the province and 77 outside the Karachi. The Acting IGP Sindh Mr.Ghulam Haider Jamali while briefing the Sindh Cabinet meeting informed that due to the targeted operation 33% decreases has been made in murder cases, 65% drop in target killing, 6% decrease in street crime, 9% decrease in registration of extortion cases. He said 188 accused arrested and challaned during the ongoing operation and all were in the jail. Besides, 850 accused wanted in murder cases have also been arrested.
The Sindh Cabinet also discussed and deliberated over the 1st power policy draft tabled by the Advisor to CM for Energy and Finance Syed Murad Ali Shah and it was decided that the Cabinet members would go through the proposed draft and share their recommendations within 15 days. This 1st Sindh Government power policy draft contained with the proposals for establishment of Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company (STDC) to transmit the power to be generated by Sindh Government in future. Besides, establishment of Sindh Power Development Board (SPDB) and NEPRA like institutions with Sindh Government was also proposed to regulate the power to be generated by Sindh in future. The Provincial Secretary Energy during in his briefing was of the view that Sindh Government was actively launching the power projects on ADP and PPP mode of investment and trying its best at least to cover the power shortage from its own productions before completion of this tenure of PPP Government. It was recommended that renewable energy such as solar energy and wind energy to be encouraged to resolve the grievances of the people. However the Sindh Cabinet expressing its apprehension over excess billing and increasing load shedding durations from 16 to 20 hours in interior Sindh, recommended to the Federal Government to reconcile its billing for justified payment and reduce the duration of load shedding failing which matter would be taken to the C.C.I meeting.
The Sindh Cabinet expressed its dissatisfaction over the performance of NARA for registration of aliens and eradication of illegal immigrants from Karachi has recommended to the Federal Government that NARA be merged into the NADRA and NADRA be assigned for this job of NARA. The Cabinet members also expressed their apprehensions over the Polio cases and spread of measles at District Thatta and decided a massive vaccination campaign with 100% coverage against diseases with public participation till the elimination of these menace.
Addressing the Cabinet meeting the Chief Minister Sindh said that law and order is at the 1st priority of his Government to convert the Karachi into most favorite city of the world. He said that Karachi was not only the city of Sindh but it represents whole Pakistan that is why we asked Federal Government for financial as well administrative help. He said that targeted operation against the terrorists, extortionists and kidnappers were launched with the consultation of all stakeholders of Karachi in September 2013 and since then it is being carried out across the board. However if any stakeholder has any reservations, same should be resolved and no one will be allowed to violate the rule of law. He said that the gravity of this issues could be gauged from the fact that Prime Minister of Pakistan presided over the meeting law & order here at Karachi which was attended by even the Chief of Army Staff and other top ranking officers of Pakistan Army and Federal Government. He said that though today PPP and MQM were together but we all (the political parties) should have to give ownership to this targeted operation. The Chief Minister Sindh while expressing his reservations over the excess billing invited WAPDA authorities to come and justify their bills as Sindh Government is ready only to pay genuine bills. He said that he has complained to the Prime Minister and Federal Minister for water and power about increasing duration of load shedding in Sindh and who listened him patiently and ordered to the authorities concerned for resolving the problems but nothing so far has been done till yet. He said that we reserve our rights to take this matter in the meeting of C.C.I.The Chief Minister Sindh said that Sindh was rich with resources to generate its own energy and we are doing for the same actively. He said that we to encourage renewable energy at least to run the streets lights, tube wells, ROs Plants and some important other installations. The Chief Minister Sindh said that Polio virus was dangerous like terrorist and operation againstthe Polio and other fatal diseases is needed with the spirit like target operation.
