Sindh IGP orders special security for census teams

KARACHI: Special arrangements will be made to ensure the security of census teams working in sensitive areas, Sindh IGP AD Khawaja said on Wednesday.

"Three hours of snap-checking must be ensured," he said during a meeting.

The IGP's orders have come after the attack on census team in Lahore Wednesday morning.

The census of 2017 was much-awaited as it is taking place after nearly two decades.

Although security is the prime concern for any one, census teams in Sindh have been faced with other issues. For instance, reports state that the police officers who are called from ruler Sindh to provide security for the census are being fed from food provided by different charity organisations of  Karachi, raising concerns over the transparency of huge funds released for the housing, food and transport services of the census staffers.

This question was raised in the show, Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath on Geo News on March 30. 

The official data indicates that as many as 8,046 police officers from inner Sindh have come to the port city for the security of the populating and housing census.

For their lodging and food arrangements, a request for Rs450 million was made from the government. Of the amount, the government released about Rs100 million. The money was given to three deputy inspector generals in the port city and, senior superintendents of police of Sukkur and Ghotki.  According to the rules of procedure, the station house officers directly responsible for providing necessities to the police officers from the rural Sindh.

However, this amount never reached the SHOs, said Khanzada.