The News International -- December 2, 1998

MQM demands recruitment of Karachiites in Metropolitan Police

By Mariana Baabar

ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), has complained to the visiting Colombian team in their second meeting in a local hotel in Karachi that the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), while having full authority to recruit police for the newly established Karachi Metropolitan Police, would completely bypass the MQM at the time of recruitments. Sources in Karachi told The News that "the MQM delegation in its second meeting with the Colombian team has strongly emphasised that while the MQM represents over 70 per cent of the Karachi population, it had been completely ignored as far as the set up of the Metropolitan Police is concerned. The visiting team has taken note of this glaring omission but it is too early to judge whether there will be a change in the government's policy in this regard." The MQM also pointed out to the Colombians that the salaries of the Karachi police has to be over and above what policemen in other cities of the country get. "This is true that the police in large cities like Karachi, world-over, are paid more than their counterparts in the rural or smaller cities. The team has also been told that educated youth from Karachi should be recruited in the Metropolitan Police instead of bringing in police from other parts of the country," the source added.