By Moin Ullah Shah
KARACHI: Inspector General of Police Sindh Javed Alam Odho visited the central office of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 19 May 2026, where he was warmly received by the chamber’s president and other office bearers.
The event was attended by KCCI President Rehan Hanif, former president Zubair Motiwala, senior vice president Muhammad Raza, vice president Muhammad Arif Lakhani, Chief of PCLC Hafeez Aziz, Chairman of the Peace and Order Subcommittee Muhammad Akram Rana, former president Muhammad Javed Bilwani, along with the DIG Traffic Karachi, SSP City, and SSP Media and Public Relations.
During the meeting, the business community paid tribute to IG Sindh Javed Alam Odho for his services in maintaining law and order in the province, particularly in the Kacha areas, and for receiving the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz. They expressed full confidence in the efforts of the Sindh government and Sindh Police in improving security and tackling crime in Karachi.
Members of the business community also raised concerns over traffic management, accidents, encroachments, and the growing use of drugs in educational institutions and across the city, and discussed these issues in detail with the police leadership.
IG Sindh answered questions from business leaders on various issues and said he thanked the entire business community for their support. He said there had always been strong cooperation between the Sindh Police and traders, and added that the establishment of peace in the province, especially in Kacha areas, and the award of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz were the result of the hard work of the entire police force.
He said he dedicated the honour to the martyrs of the police force and called it a collective achievement of the Sindh Police. He said peace and stability were essential for industrial and commercial growth and without it business activity could not fully develop.
He said there had been a clear improvement in street crime in Karachi and that the city’s vibrancy was gradually returning. He added that the Karachi police, under the leadership of the Karachi police chief, had been working effectively to control street crime.
He said an operation in the interior of Sindh, named Operation Nijat Mehran, had been launched to clear the Kacha areas of criminal groups, and that the Sindh Police had achieved significant success in this regard with full support from the provincial government, especially the Chief Minister and Interior Minister.
He said highways around the Kacha areas had been fully secured to ensure safe travel for the public and traders, and added that the government’s surrender policy had been implemented to avoid further loss of life. He said there were now no no-go areas in Sindh and state writ had been established everywhere.
He further said that in the last four months, criminal groups had been largely eliminated from Kacha areas, which he described as proof of the performance of the Sindh Police. He added that the provincial government, in consultation with the police, was planning development programs in these areas, including schools, police posts, veterinary hospitals and other facilities.
He said transporters had also appreciated improved security on highways. He noted that the Old City area was densely populated and served as a key hub for goods distribution across Pakistan, and said major markets including Jodia Bazaar should be shifted outside the city to ease traffic flow and related problems.
He said there were more trader organizations and associations in Karachi than anywhere else in the country. He added that legal action was being taken against vehicles without number plates or with tampered plates, including registration of cases.
He said a campaign was underway to ensure trackers were installed in heavy vehicles, and around 70 percent of large vehicles had already been fitted with tracking devices. He said the government was also working on vehicle fitness standards and expected positive results soon.
He said controlling drugs was even more important than controlling crime because it affected the future of the younger generation, and added that a strong crackdown on narcotics was ongoing under the provincial government’s policy. He said more than 1,000 drug dealers had been arrested in the past four months and that efforts were being made to control both supply and demand. He urged society to support the government in tackling drug abuse.
He also said the Sindh government had formed two high-powered committees on encroachments, and said a representative of the Karachi Chamber should also be included as a member.
At the end of the visit, KCCI President Rehan Hanif presented a commemorative shield to IG Sindh Javed Alam Odho.
