Sabahat Sarwar
Karachi: Inspector General of Police Sindh Javed Alam Odho chaired a review meeting at the Central Police Office to assess the performance of various departments of the Sindh Police, with particular focus on the IGP Complaint Cell and Media and Public Relations. The meeting was attended by Additional IG Operations, DIG Headquarters, AIG to IGP Complaint Cell, Media and Public Relations, Operations and Administration and the Director Press to the IGP Sindh.
During the meeting, AIG IGP Complaint Cell and SSP Media and Public Relations Wing Syed Ali Raza briefed the performance, complaints received and their resolution, implementation of the media policy, and monitoring of police officers’ and personnel’s activities on social media platforms. The briefing also covered the proposed media interaction policy, collaboration with production houses and other related matters. According to the briefing, the IGP Complaint Cell received more than 28,000 complaints during the first 10 months of the current year, compared with 17,500 complaints received throughout the previous year. Of the complaints received this year, 85 per cent have been resolved. The increase in complaints, officials said, reflected growing public reliance on the complaint cell for the resolution of their grievances. To ensure transparent and effective investigations, inquiries into more than 350 complaints had also been conducted through police officers.
Director Press to the IGP Sindh Syed Saad Ali briefed the meeting on media management, the department’s communication strategy and measures to strengthen engagement with media organisations. He highlighted efforts to ensure the timely provision of accurate and comprehensive information to the media, particularly regarding major incidents and police operations. These included the preparation of press handouts, news tickers and media briefings, effective use of social media platforms, timely rebuttals of misleading reports, communication of the department’s official position and coordination with relevant officers on media coverage. The briefing also covered media monitoring of important incidents and initiatives to highlight the Sindh Police’s public service activities and improve its institutional image.
IGP Odho said the timely redressal of public complaints and provision of relief to citizens remained a top priority of the Sindh Police. He directed the relevant officials to ensure prompt action on complaints lodged with the IGP Complaint Cell and follow each case through to its logical conclusion. Officers responsible for unnecessary delays or negligence in addressing public grievances should be identified, he said.
The IGP stressed the need to make the complaint redressal mechanism more accessible, transparent and effective, ensuring that citizens received proper assistance from the registration of their complaints to their resolution. He also directed officers to strengthen professional engagement with media organisations and ensure the timely dissemination of verified information about police operations, achievements and public service initiatives. Emphasising the importance of public trust and institutional credibility, IGP Odho called for a coordinated media strategy to promote a balanced and positive image of the police. He directed the relevant departments to adopt a comprehensive and results-oriented approach to further improve the performance of the complaint cell and media management.
