3,000 personnel to bolster embattled Karachi police

Islamabad: Interior Minister Rahman Malek announced yesterday that the police force in violence-plagued Karachi would be increased and said tough action was needed against drug and land-grabbing mafia, as well as gangs extorting money from people in the city.

He said the three groups were involved in a wave of targeted killings in Karachi, where scores of people have been shot dead over the past week in different neighbourhoods.

Malek, who spoke after hectic meetings with the authorities in the financial and industrial hub of the country, said some 3,000 more personnel would be added to the Karachi police force.

The capital of the Sindh province is now relatively calm, with a noticeable decrease in incidents of shooting as a result of intensified patrolling by paramilitary rangers and police.

Sindh's Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza said police had shot dead a notorious robber, Qadri Chachar, who had been carrying a bounty of 1.5 million rupees (Dh63,603) on his head. The police had arrested a wanted "target killer" and 15 other suspects, he said.

Earlier, the authorities in Karachi reported detaining more than 100 suspects for interrogation.

Meeting of allies

A meeting of key figures from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its key coalition partner in the Sindh ruling coalition, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was held at the Governor House in Karachi on Thursday night.

Governor Ishratul Ibad, who is from MQM, chaired the meeting attended from the PPP side by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Rahman Malek and Zulfikar Mirza. Federal ministers Farooq Sattar and Babar Ghauri and provincial minister Raza Haroon represented MQM.

Reports said the coalition partners agreed to launch a crackdown against all criminal gangs in Karachi.