Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza has announced a raise in the salaries and perks of the Sindh police, to bring them at par with Punjab police. He also said that 10,000 policemen would be recruited in due course of time to end the current manpower crisis in the force.

Addressing a press conference at the Central Police Office (CPO) on Wednesday, he said that providing security and safety to every citizen of the province was the responsibility of the Home Department and that this was his top-most priority.

He said that bringing peace in Sindh, especially in Karachi and Hyderabad, was his duty, and added that: “The Sindh police force will be my main tool to eradicate crime and social evils from society.”

He said that, without improving the police force, the goal to improve the law and order situation in the province could not be achieved. He said that, to stop the rising rate of street crime as well as bank and highway robberies, it was necessary to raise the morale of police and equip them with necessary facilities and manpower.

Mirza regretted the acute shortage of police personnel in the Sindh police.

The minister announced an increase in the salaries and other facilities of the Sindh police to bring them at par with the Punjab police. He also announced a reduction in the duty hours of policemen from 16 to 12 hours. He said that, after making new recruitments, the duty hours would be reduced further to eight hours a day. He also announced that the compensation amount for the heirs of a martyred policeman would be raised to Rs500,000.

On the occasion, Mirza thanked Inspector General (IG) Sindh Police Shoaib Suddle for devising a revamping programme for the Sindh police department so that every basic facility could be provided to the police force. He said that the police department had its own hospital but it was not in good condition and looked like a KMC hospital, adding, a committee has been constituted to revamp the police hospital system. He said that, at present, police personnel worked seven days a week, but IGP Suddle has announced a weekly off day for the police department.

The Home Minister vowed to compensate the victims of the April 9 violence in Karachi, besides which, he said, the media persons who had their equipment damaged while covering the day’s incidents would also be compensated.

He said that they had devised a five-year police development plan, which would be implemented from the new fiscal year. “We have also increased vacancies in the police department because we are trying to attain the ratio of police deployment at par with Punjab, which is one cop for every 245 citizens. Presently, this ratio in Sindh is 1:545,” he added. The minister was flanked by IGP Sindh Shoaib Suddle during the press conference