Karachi: Inspector General of Police, Sindh Riffat Mukhtar Raja, made a visit to Pakistan’s first “Sindh Police Museum” established at Police Headquarters District South Karachi. The museum showcases the rich history of policing from 1843 to the present day.
During the visit, IG Sindh Riffat Mukhtar Raja was provided with a detailed briefing by Saud Mirza, the former IG and curator of the museum. The museum encapsulates the inception of Sindh Police in 1843 after the annexation of Sindh, credited as the first “modern police” of the continent. The model implemented by Sir Charles Napier, focusing on the separation of policing from the military, proved so effective that it influenced the formation of police in other provinces of British India.
In the early days, Sindh Police comprised 2400 personnel, covering Karachi, Hyderabad, and Shikarpur districts. The force was organized into three departments: Mounted Police, Urban Police, and Rural Police. Captain Marston, the Commandant of Sindh Police for 21 years, played a significant role, establishing the force as the most diligent and active police in the subcontinent.
Highlighting the importance and objectives of the museum Saud Mirza informed that the establishment of the police museum began in 2011/2012, collecting old police records, pictures, and artifacts. The museum houses 300 files from 1827 to 1951, 160 files of ancient records, thousands of pages of books, 129 ancient weapons from 1840 to 1947, and newspaper cuttings from 1866 to 1948. The museum not only chronicles the activities of Sindh Police since 1843 but also preserves the precious heritage of the police.
IG Sindh Riffat Mukhtar Raja expressed pride in the museum, emphasizing its significance as the first police museum in Pakistan. He called for collaboration with other provinces to expand the collection and urged educational institutions to send students for research and study purposes.
During the visit, IG Sindh inspected the history and photographs of martyrs of Sindh Police in the museum, honoring the brave individuals who contributed to the force’s legacy.
Present at the occasion were DIGP Headquarters, DIGP TNT, DIGP South, and other officers.
