KARACHI - Sindh government on Tuesday decided to go after the militant networks operating in Karachi following the Quetta tragedy that claimed the lives of more than 60 untrained cops.

At a special meeting convened to discuss law and order situation, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the security agencies to take action against illegal immigrants living in the city and its outskirts; even in the slums.

The meeting was attended by Advisor to the CM on Information Maula Bux Chandio, on Law Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, Rangers DG Major General Bilal Akbar, Additional IG Karachi Mushtaq Maher, Additional IG CTD Sanaullah Abbasi, Home Secretary Shakeel Mangnijo and provincial heads of intelligence agencies besides others.

It was decided in the meeting to also not spare those either harbouring the terrorists or supporting them.

It was observed that “some of the immigrants are directly involved in terrorist activities.”

The decision was taken to register them by conducting a complete survey.

It was also agreed that the survey would be conducted by law-enforcement agencies: Rangers, police and intelligence agencies, while the district administration would also be a part of the exercise. The chief minister directed the law- enforcement agencies to an indiscriminate operation against drug traffickers on the basis of details already collected about the operators, their hideouts and networks.

It was pointed out at the meeting that these traffickers were supporting terrorists and also financing them.

The meeting was informed that around 93 seminaries had proven links with militants or banned outfits.

“The intelligence agencies have gathered credible information about the activities of these elements. This kind of attitude would not be tolerated. We will not allow anybody to shed blood of innocent people in the name of religion,” the CM said, and directed Rangers and police to start operation against them.

“This operation would also be targeted and intelligence based,” Murad said.

He directed the home department to put 93 seminaries, found involved in anti-state activities, on the watch list and maintain the record of their day-to-day activities to be monitored through intelligence work.

The chief minister expressed satisfaction over the performance of LEAs, particularly in Karachi.

The heads of LEAs shared with the participants leads shedding light on militants’ future plans, and obtained as a result of investigation into militants’ activities in the city.

Murad asked them to form a database to register each and every immigrant whether he or she lives in the city or anywhere in the province; legally or illegally. He asked Commissioner Karachi to sit with the Rangers DG, IG Police, home secretary and other agencies’ heads to form the database.  More than 15 teams were constituted on the occasion to start registration of immigrants.

Taking another policy decision, the CM directed Rangers and police to start extensive snap checking in the city.

“Checking must be done in the areas where they have information of subversive activities,” he ordered.

Meanwhile, Tehreek-e-Taliban Karachi has claimed responsibility for the attack on Quetta police training center.

In a statement, TTP claimed that Mullah Dawood Mansoor, a close aid of Hakimullah Mehsud, based in Karachi had dispatched four militants for the attack in revenge for the extrajudicial killing of their detained companions.

It is worth-mentioning here that Karachi operation had started in September 2013, while security agencies have claimed to have arrested thousands of criminals and militants. However, the conviction rate remains unchanged. Interestingly, operation had initially begun against the militant outfits, and then shifted towards politically motivated criminals.

No major breakthrough has been achieved in cases of terror so far despite the operation, while intermittent incidents pinpoint the existence of terrorist networks within the city.

Sindh government had initiated the drive to register legal and illegal immigrants earlier too, but no mechanism has developed as yet.

Dozens of settlements have emerged in the suburbs of the city since 2007 when military operation against the Taliban had started in Swat.