KARACHI – Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh, Javed Alam Odho, has announced that red warrants have been issued for three key gang leaders operating from abroad, including Samad Kathiawari in Iran and others in Malaysia. Speaking to industrialists at the SITE Association of Industry, the IGP stated that these criminals would be apprehended as soon as the situation in Iran stabilizes. Addressing the law and order situation in the metropolis, Odho maintained that overall street crime has been brought under control.
Extortion and Misuse of FIRs
Regarding extortion (Bhatta), the IGP clarified that such incidents are now limited. While complaints have emerged from North Karachi involving the Samad Kathiawari gang, he highlighted a startling statistic that 80% of extortionists’ local facilitators have been eliminated. Furthermore, investigations revealed that 70% of extortion-related FIRs were based on business disputes rather than actual ransom demands, while only 30% of reported cases were found to be genuine extortion attempts.
Technology over Manpower
Javed Alam Odho emphasized that the future of policing in Karachi lies in technology rather than traditional pickets. He noted that over 40,000 cameras are now operational in the city, excluding Safe City projects. To improve traffic management, Rs. 500 million in fines were collected recently and advanced cameras are being tripled to curb violations. A dedicated Drone Unit has also been established, which effectively ended the “No-Go Area” status of the riverine (Kacha) regions, leading to the neutralisation of 500 bandits and the surrender of 80 others.
Police Reforms and Infrastructure
The IGP shared a vision for a more professional force by requesting the government to hire more ASIs instead of Constables to shift from a “baton-carrying” force to a specialized agency. With new mobile units and tablets for officers, the target response time is being set at 7 minutes. Regarding urban issues, instructions were issued to DIG South to register old roadside hotels (Chhapra hotels) and shut down new unauthorized ones to curb “soft encroachment.”
Safety Concerns: Aerial Firing and Traffic
The IGP took stern notice of aerial firing during celebrations, noting that it damages solar panels and claims lives. He warned that grooms and their fathers would be arrested if such incidents occur at weddings. He also urged citizens to stop one-way violations, which remain a leading cause of accidents in Karachi, concluding that modern policing means reducing human interaction to eliminate corruption and improve efficiency.
