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Aftab Nabi seeks public cooperation to control crimes

KARACHI: The Inspector General Police, Sindh, Aftab Nabi, has reiterated the police determination to control crimes and terrorism with public cooperation and support. "I feel that conditions are congenial to give a new shape and direction to the police," the IGP told APP in an interview on Friday.

Aftab Nabi, who is a recepient of M. Phil degree in criminology from Cambridge University and spent 27 years of his service in police in Sindh and held the post of IGP for the second time on October 27, 1999, said there is no outside interference in the department's internal affairs.

He believed that on the basis of his experience and practical potential, far reaching changes can be brought in the police system.

However, he observed, no police system is going to succeed unless the police and society mix-up and become helpful and supportive to each other.

He said he has chalked out a clear-cut strategy, gradual implemention of which has started with steps taken for rectification of the department's internal matters and affairs.

He said first of all he has made "merit" the sole criteria for posting and tranfer. He said he thinks that his second time posting in Sindh as IGP was also due to application of merit. The changes at the DIG and SSPs also brought on merit. Special care was taken for posting of only most appropriate officers, whose integrity and performance was above aboard, on these posts. He said the second step taken was the launch of crusade against corruption within the department.

In order to gain effective results, all the senior officers including SPs and DSPs were extended appropriate warning and time limit after which legal and departmental action would be taken against them.

He said an important feature of the police's new strategy was that he personally held meetings with the representative associations of businessmen, industrialists, professionals and traders and assured them of his sincere cooperation and also made them to understand that as responsible citizens it is their duty to cooperate with the police.

He noted that the people have responded positively and such examples of police and public cooperation are being set which find no predence in the past. The positive outcome of such cooperation were vividly visible during Ramazan-ul-Mubarak and Eid-ul-Fitr when the crimes remained under control to a great extent.

He said the initiation of a special programme "SOS Hour" form Radio's FM-101 channel had been due to his personal efforts so as to reach out the people directly.

He said the third stage envisaged the issuance of directives by him for the constitution of police advisory committees at the department level.

He said it is his commitment to play an active and vigorous role to get women their due status in the society and to provide them protection against violence and excesses. He said special contacts have been established with women organisations and a joint strategy chalked out.

He said that on his request a Nipa has started a training course at the level of DSPs and SHOs to highlight the significance and special status of women and their due place in the society.

Aftab Nabi said that an most important issue on which he is paying special attention is the reorganisation of police force. The force which comprised 35,000 men in 1985 reached 85,000 mark in the next 10 years.

He admitted that the police department did not had the administrative capability whereby 50,000 constables could have been recruited in 10 years period after proper scrutiny and in accordance with the set principles of recruitment.

Besides, there has been very meagre training facilities available as a result of which only one thousand recruits could be imparted training in the first six years and this number was increased to 3,000 after provision of enhanced training facilities.

He said to meet this situation a plan is under consideration under which the existing vacancies in police will be abolished and the funds so saved would be spent on the provision of due facilities to the force. APP