Sindh approves Rs.9.5 billion plan for new SSU headquarters and security academy

The Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, has given in-principle approval to a Rs.9.5 billion project to establish a new headquarters and security training academy for the province’s Special Security Unit (SSU) in Karachi.

The proposed state-of-the-art complex will be built on about 29.43 acres at Chowkandi and is intended to bring the SSU’s command, training, accommodation and support facilities together at one site, providing modern facilities for more than 3,000 male and 300 female personnel.

However, CM Sindh has directed the Planning and Development (P&D) and Home Departments to review the project’s master plan and submit recommendations before it is placed before the relevant authorities for formal approval.

Presiding over a meeting at the CM House , the chief minister reviewed the comprehensive proposal for the integrated security complex and directed the Home Department, Police Department, Planning & Development Department and Finance Department to expedite all procedural requirements so that Phase-I of the project could commence during the current financial year.

The provincial government has proposed spending about Rs.4.483 billion on the first phase of the project over the next two financial years. The Home Department has also proposed an initial allocation of Rs.500 million to begin priority works.

The proposed academy will include a dedicated headquarters building, academic and administrative blocks, auditoriums, research and development facilities, libraries, computer laboratories, classrooms, indoor and outdoor firing ranges, tactical training complexes, simulation rooms, combat training zones,

Plans also include K-9 training facilities, a SWAT obstacle course, sports and fitness facilities, accommodation for personnel, officers’ residences and welfare facilities.

The complex is designed to accommodate more than 3,000 male and 300 female personnel. Other planned facilities include dining halls for up to 1,000 people, a swimming pool, gymnasium, medical center, conference facilities, an armory, driving simulators, parade grounds, and secure parking areas.

Security measures will include a CCTV command center, controlled-access systems, watch towers and bomb-resistant perimeter walls.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that strengthening the capacity of Sindh Police remained one of the government’s foremost priorities.

Murad Ali Shah said the project was aimed at improving the SSU’s operational readiness and providing specialized training in line with national and international standards.

He said the nature of security threats had changed and that police institutions needed modern infrastructure, training systems and specialized capabilities to respond to emerging challenges.

Concluding the meeting, the chief minister reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to building a modern, professional and technologically equipped police force capable of addressing future security challenges.