KARACHI, FEB 22 (DNA) – Inspector-General Sindh Allah Dino Khawaja, on Thursday said that Naqeebullah Mehsud of Waziristan was innocent, and killed in “cold blood,” while questioning how the police was expected “to keep an eye on 20 million people with only 2,500 cameras.”

Addressing the media in Karachi, Khawaja said there is no grounds for the defence in the Naqeebullah case since police officials were involved in the ‘extra-judicial’ killing. He told the media that Karachi’s population is over 20 million, with half living in the slums.

“And to compound these problems, the number of illegal citizens is also in large numbers. Karachi tops the list for possession of licensed guns in the world.

Khwaja said social media was recording the crimes taking place in the city. “Now, there are several CCTV footages of a shop getting robbed on social media,” he said, adding that police officers who were hired unlawfully should be sacked.

Speaking on the Naqeebullah murder case, he said that the victim was innocent, wrongfully murdered in cold blood and that nobody can deny the police officers’ involvement.

Commenting on the rate of street crimes in Karachi, he said that it was indeed the police’s responsibility to curb street crimes, however, the police alone should not be held accountable.

He further stated that the police force sacrificed their lives in line of duty to eliminate terrorism and fighting street crimes. He added that 200 street criminals were caught in 15 days, but they still need to devise a thorough strategy.

On the Intizar murder case, the IG Sindh said that when the victim was gunned down by Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) officers, it was the police who had informed his father and arrested the involved officers to ensure they are treated as criminals.