7 SHOs suspended over rising street crime in Karachi

Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Sial suspended seven station house officers (SHOs) of the provincial police in Karachi over their alleged failure to control street crime and misbehaviour with complainants on Wednesday.

Sial, who made the decision during a meeting reviewing Karachi's law and order situation, expressed concern over rising street crimes in the city, and reported complaints against SHOs and the behaviour of police station staff towards citizens, the home ministry's official spokesperson said.

The meeting was attended by Additional Inspector General (AIG) Sindh, AIG Karachi and other police officials. Sial warned the officers to improve their performance or face strict action

SHOs of Preedy, Sacchal, Liaquatabad, Mominabad, Saudabad, Risala and Jamshed Quarters police stations were among those suspended.

"One SHO from each district of Karachi is being suspended initially," and this process will continue based on performance evaluations every three months, Sial cautioned.

"This mechanism shall be implemented throughout the province", he said.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the home minister said that the AIG Special Branch has been assigned the task of providing quarterly reports about the performance of police station staffers, whereas the AIG Crimes will submit police station performance reports "with special reference to action against organised crimes".

The move comes days after robbers stormed a private microfinance bank in the old city's Kharadar area, looting over half a million rupees in what is reportedly the sixth heist in Karachi this year.

Besides the half a dozen bank heists, a money changer had been robbed in the Boat Basin area in which the security firm owner was arrested on abetment charges in April. His two guards were found involved in the robbery, which was this year’s biggest heist in the city.

The number of bank heists in the metropolis has dropped significantly in the past two years mainly due to proactive policing and ongoing Rangers-led operations, but the off-and-on strikes by bandits remain a challenge for the investigators.

In 2015, five bank branches were looted, 24 in 2014, while 28 banks met the same fate in 2013, 23 in 2012, 19 in 2011, 20 in 2010 and less than 20 in 2009.