Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, presided over a high-level meeting on law and order, reaffirmed a zero-tolerance policy against kidnapping for ransom and other heinous crimes.
The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Agriculture Minister Muhammad Bux Maher, Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, Principal Secretary Agha Wasif, Home Secretary Iqbal Memon, Inspector General (IG) Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, and MPA Jameel Soomro.
Bilawal Bhutto directed Sindh authorities to provide a comprehensive briefing on the province’s law and order situation, emphasizing that ensuring public safety is the government’s primary responsibility.
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah briefed him on security measures, highlighting that significant progress has been made in curbing kidnapping for ransom in northern Sindh districts, including Sukkur, Ghotki, Kashmore, and Shikarpur.
Bilawal urged law enforcement agencies to intensify operations against criminals in these areas and instructed the Sindh government to enhance policing under the IG’s supervision.
He further directed that the government formulate a policy to distribute state-owned land in “Katcha” areas among local women and empower law-abiding residents.
Reaffirming PPP’s stance, Bilawal stressed that his party would not tolerate any injustice against minorities, women, or children.
He also ordered stricter measures to control road accidents in Karachi and enhance the province’s anti-narcotics campaign.
IG Police Ghulam Nabi Memon presented an overview of law enforcement efforts, revealing that from March 2024 to March 2025, 87 dacoits were killed and 298 injured in operations across northern Sindh.
Additionally, five high-profile criminals were neutralized, 12 were arrested, and 534 people were rescued from abductions.
Bilawal directed the authorities to further strengthen the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) by improving weapons, equipment, and training.
According to the IG, the CTD conducted 2,225 intelligence-based operations, arresting 208 terrorists and eliminating four.
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah highlighted Sindh’s direct funding initiative for police stations, allocating Rs 6 billion this year to improve station-level operations.
The Safe City Project in Karachi was also discussed, with authorities informed that 1,300 CCTV cameras, equipped with facial and license plate recognition technology, are being installed in key locations at a cost of Rs 6.62 billion.
Bilawal underscored the importance of securing highways and commended the initiation of police highway patrolling.
Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar reported that 200 personnel and 100 vehicles have been deployed for this purpose.
Bilawal also called for accelerating the Karachi Safe City Project, to which the chief minister responded that progress had already been expedited, with the first phase focusing on the Red Zone and airport corridor.
The meeting concluded with Bilawal reiterating his commitment to making Sindh a safer province by strengthening law enforcement and ensuring better security measures for the public.
