IG Sindh warns against glamorizing drug traffickers as police report major gains in anti-narcotics and katcha operations
The Inspector General of Police Sindh on Tuesday criticized the social media portrayal of a high-profile female drug suspect known as “Pinky,” warning against glamorizing criminals and drug traffickers in ways that could influence young people.
Speaking during a visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inspector General Sindh Jawed Alam Odho said sensationalized depictions of accused individuals risk projecting them as “glamorous or heroic figures,” which could encourage criminal behavior among youth.
The remarks come following the recent arrest of the suspect, amid heightened anti-narcotics enforcement in the province.
Odho also said that under the ongoing “Operation Nijat-e-Mehran,” launched against armed criminal gangs in Sindh’s katcha areas, law enforcement has killed at least 41 dacoits, arrested 123 injured suspects, and secured the surrender of more than 320 individuals over the past four months.
He said the operation had helped restore the writ of the state in previously inaccessible areas and improved security along key trade and transport routes linking Karachi with other parts of the country.
The IG told business leaders that Karachi’s overall security environment had improved in recent years, with a decline in street crime, though he stressed the need for continued vigilance and coordination among stakeholders.
He also highlighted structural challenges in the city’s traffic system, pointing to the concentration of wholesale markets and freight movement in densely populated areas. He said long-term solutions would require relocating major wholesale markets and improving connectivity between industrial zones, ports, and highways through expanded infrastructure projects.
Odho said Sindh Police is expanding the use of Safe City surveillance systems and artificial intelligence-based monitoring to detect traffic violations, fake number plates, and reckless driving. He warned that vehicles using tampered plates would face strict legal action, including FIR registration and impoundment.
On narcotics, he described drugs as one of the most serious threats to society, saying more than 1,700 drug dealers have been arrested in recent operations along with seizures of heroin, hashish, and other substances.
During the meeting, representatives of the Karachi business community welcomed improvements in law and order, noting a decline in street crimes, vehicle theft, and kidnappings for ransom.
However, they raised concerns over growing drug use among youth in educational institutions and residential areas, urging stronger enforcement against drug networks and better monitoring of sensitive localities.
Business leaders also emphasized issues including traffic congestion, heavy vehicle accidents, substandard tyres, land grabbing, and the need to accelerate Karachi’s Safe City project.
Odho said coordination mechanisms were being strengthened with provincial authorities to address encroachments and land disputes, and invited the Karachi Chamber to nominate a focal person for faster complaint resolution.
He added that proposals were underway to modernize traffic management through smart signals, improved road infrastructure, and a potential public-private model for urban mobility improvements.