KARACHI: Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Javed Alam Odho on Tuesday visited the main office of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), where he was welcomed by KCCI President Rehan Hanif and other office-bearers.
Officials said the event was attended by former KCCI president Zubair Motiwala, Senior Vice President Muhammad Raza, Vice President Muhammad Arif Lakhani, chief of Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) Hafeez Aziz, Chairman of the Law and Order Sub-Committee Muhammad Akram Rana, former KCCI president Muhammad Javed Balwani, DIG Traffic Karachi, SSP City, and SSP Media and Public Relations.
The participants raised concerns regarding Karachi’s traffic management, increasing road accidents, encroachments, drug use in educational institutions, and other civic and law and order issues.
The IGP responded to questions and shared details of ongoing initiatives.
He said peace and stability were essential for industrial and business growth, adding that the street crime situation in Karachi had improved and the city was gradually returning to normalcy.
He credited the Karachi police, under the leadership of Additional IG Karachi Azad Khan, for sustained action against street criminals.
Speaking about the interior of Sindh, the IGP said Operation Nijat Mehran had been launched to eliminate dacoits from the Kutcha areas with the support of the Sindh government, chief minister, and home minister.
He claimed that highways surrounding the Kutcha belt had been secured to ensure safer travel for the public and business community.
Discussing Karachi’s traffic issues, he stressed the need to relocate major wholesale markets, including Jodia Bazaar, outside the old city area to ease congestion. He also said legal action was being taken against vehicles without registration plates or with tampered number plates.
He announced that a campaign was underway to ensure the installation of trackers in heavy vehicles, claiming that trackers had already been installed in nearly 70 percent of large transport vehicles, while efforts regarding vehicle fitness certification were also continuing.
Highlighting concerns over narcotics, the IGP termed drug control more important than crime prevention, calling it an issue linked to the future of coming generations.
He said more than 1,000 drug dealers had been arrested during the past four months as part of a province-wide crackdown under the Sindh government’s anti-narcotics policy.
