Punjab university expands stray dog control campai…

Karachi: While addressing ABAD — the Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan — on Wednesday, Inspector General Sindh Mr. Javed Alam Odho once again reaffirmed the commitment to resolve the Mir Raza murder case on merit and without pressure. He admitted mistakes had been made by the police department, but reassured that all measures would be taken to correct them. He also claimed that the crime rate in Karachi had dropped by 14 percent. He also urged for reforms and need of more professional training in Medico-legal system of police. But all those numbers and all those assurances fall flat in the face of one unresolved case. The fact that a builders’ association felt compelled to raise the Mir Raza issue speaks volumes. It is not ABAD’s mandate, yet its leaders did it anyway — because the mistrust between citizens and Karachi Police has grown too deep to ignore. That mistrust exists not because of a lack of competent leadership at the top, but because subordinate SSPs failed to deliver where it mattered most. A Meeting That Set the Standard  I saw this gap first-hand in my initial meeting with DIG East, Dr. Farrukh Ali Lanjhar. He came across as accessible, direct, and willing to listen — the kind of officer who says, “call me when you need me.” When I requested time from DIG East Dr. Farrukh Lanjhar for an interview, I expected a formal reply or a future date. Instead, he politely asked me to walk into his office and join him for a cup of tea. I was pleasantly surprised by the cordiality. I walked in expecting bureaucracy. What I found was courtesy, and a senior officer who was ready to resolve the issue of a female journalist without making her feel like a petitioner. Does the Police Force Lack Role Models?  The meeting was also a wake-up call. At the ASP/SP level, many officers still treat citizens as subjects of a colony and themselves as masters, not servants. I often wonder what fuels this snobbery and arrogance. Is it clearing the CSS? But given our quota system and an exam that has been reduced to testing memory and English rather than intellect or judgment, that in itself is no great achievement. If it were, every government department would be running like a multinational — either making huge profit or excelling in service delivery. Is it the training we inherited from the British Raj, designed to produce a ruling elite? Or is it the culture of imitating seniors who remain inaccessible and aloof? Yet we do have exceptions. DIG East Dr. Farrukh Lanjhar, DIG Traffic Pir Mohammad Shah, DIG CTD Capt. (R) Azfar Mahesar, DIG RRF Usman Ghani Siddiqui, DIG Amir Farooqui, SSP Qamar Jiskani, SSP Saud Magsi, SSP Zeeshan Siddiqui, and above all IG Sindh Javed Alam Odho. Within the same flawed system that all of us are part of, they choose to serve as public servants. The impression they leave is exactly what I witnessed the other day. Can’t they be role models? Because the legacy you leave either lives on or haunts you. We still remember good officers long after they retire, like former ADIG Hyderabad Range, Dr. Jameel. AIG Ameer Sheikh will be spoken of in those terms. Ten years from now, who else will be remembered with the same respect? There were many who were pharaohs of their time, but no one now remembers them with respect after they leave office. A Glimpse of Reforms in East  During our discussion, Mr. Lanjhar also spoke about the reforms he has pushed in East Zone. He said more than 1,000 personnel have been pulled out of desk pools and deployed in the field where they are actually needed. To enforce accountability, he has introduced biometric attendance to eliminate ghost employees. The zone is also moving toward an advanced facial recognition system to ensure that no one can mark false attendance and every officer on the roster is truly on duty. The Mir Raza Murder Case  When asked to comment on the Mir Raza murder case, which falls under his jurisdiction, he responded softly: “A new committee has been constituted,” he said, “and I do not wish to comment before its findings are made public.” However, he assured that he would address all queries once the committee submits its report. As we wrapped up a meeting that ran longer than expected, Dr. Farrukh Lanjhar spoke openly — about the shortcomings of the media, about his personal experiences across different districts and roles, and about the reforms needed to make police more public-friendly. Especially Thana culture, which he called the main “interface” of the police force. Before I left, he said simply: “Don’t you worry, Madam. We will remain in touch. You can call me whenever and wherever needed to resolve your issue.” It left me thinking. Often, just listening with patience to the complaint of the aggrieved party can bring down the temperature of frustration and distrust toward police. That is exactly what was missing in the initial handling of the Mir Raza murder case. The first inquiry committee, in which SSP East Zubair Sheikh was allegedly accused of incompetence and of pushing a suicide theory (by the family), failed on that count. He did not take into account the point of view of the victim’s parents. Neither he nor SSP SIU Samiullah Soomro were able to convey to the grieving family that the police were with them, and that they would do everything to ensure they got the justice they deserved. It was that simple. Had SSP East, Zubair Sheikh, treated it with the same seriousness that DIG East showed toward my complaint — on a far smaller scale — perhaps IG Sindh, Javed Alam Odho would not have had to stand before the media and accept mistakes on behalf of his force. That is why we have a full hierarchy in place. If every SSP did his job, including answering the

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has distanced the party from recent remarks made by Imran Khan’s sister, Noreen Niazi, stating that her comments reflected her personal opinion and should not be viewed as the official position of PTI. Speaking to journalists outside Adiala Jail on Tuesday, Gohar said he had been informed that the interview in question was recorded nearly three months ago. He emphasized that Noreen Niazi holds no office within the party and is not involved in PTI’s political decision-making process. Highlighting national security, the PTI chairman described Pakistan’s recent success in Marka-e-Haq as a matter of national pride and credited it as a blessing for the country. He said Pakistan’s response to external threats had demonstrated its strength before the world and warned that any future aggression would be met with an even stronger reaction. Gohar also appealed to political leaders and the public to avoid making controversial statements about the armed forces or the country’s martyrs, stressing that such sensitive issues should remain above political disagreements. Reaffirming PTI’s position on terrorism, he said the party fully supports decisive action against terrorist elements and called for a united national strategy to eliminate the threat through collective efforts and available state resources. On the political front, Gohar confirmed that PTI’s boycott of parliamentary standing committees and the Judicial Commission remains unchanged. Discussing the upcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, he said the party had received reports that the electoral process had been rescheduled into three phases. Although some members had proposed reconsidering the boycott, no agreement had been reached, and the party’s decision to stay away from the polls remains in force. Separately, prison sources confirmed that former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were allowed to meet inside Adiala Jail. The meeting reportedly took place in the prison’s conference room and lasted around 30 minutes. Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan called on PTI lawmakers and senior leaders to actively participate in the party’s anti-government campaign instead of leaving the responsibility to a limited number of workers and family members. Expressing concern over the lack of updates regarding her brother’s condition, she questioned how long the movement could continue without stronger support from the party’s elected representatives and leadership.