News
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
1,138 lose lives during January-June 2011: HRCP* Law and order cannot be maintained without political will, says HRCP chairperson
By Haris Hanif
KARACHI: As many as 1,138 people lost their lives as result of different kinds of killings in the city during first six months of the year, out of them 490 people fell prey to target killings, including 250 people with no political affiliation, while 150 were political activists. Incidents of bomb blasts alone took 42 lives.
This was stated in a report compiled by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). HRCP Chairperson Zohra Yousuf at her office here shared the report with media at a news conference on Tuesday.
The report is released at a time, when target killing is in full swing in the city. The sheer surge in number of first six months suggests the casualties have reached near the number of previous entire year killings.
From January to June 2011, the breakup of target killings is as follows: 56 killings were related to ethnicity, 19 based on religious parties affiliation, eight related to sectarian outfits, four pertaining to banned organisations, and three based on nationalist parties affiliation.
The killings on political grounds include death of 77 people belonging to Muttahida Qaumi Movement, 29 of Awami National Party, 26 of Pakistan People’s Party, 16 of Mahajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi, and one each of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional.
Furthermore, the activists of religious parties killed included nine of Ahley Sunnat Wal Jamaat, seven of Sunni Tehreek, two of Jamiat Ulma-e- Islam and one from Jamaat-e-Islami. The figures for nationalist parties included Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Panjabi Pakhtoon Ittihad and Punjabi Front one each, while banned outfits included four of Sipah-e-Sahaba.
Some 301 people who had no political affiliation were targeted in 2010, 82 in 2009, 123 in 2008, 58 in 2007, 53 in 2006 and 95 in 2005. Likewise, a total of 237 political activists were killed in 2010, 209 in 2009, 144 in 2008, 53 in 2007, 37 in 2006 and 49 in 2005.
A month-wise segregation of the data of target killings revealed that, 73 people were killed in January, 30 in February, 157 in March, 80 in April, 45 in May, 49 in June this year.
The other killings included 137abducted and killed, eight killed by stray bullets, 24women killed by relatives, 26women killed by unidentified culprits, four women set on fire, two men set on fire, 34killed in police encounter, 10 men killed on railway track, three women killed on railway track, 30children killed, 41policemen killed, 123killed due to enmity, 58men killed by robbers, two women killed by robbers, 29dead bodies found, three drug addicts found dead, three security guards killed, three death in male prison, four men killed by police, one woman killed by police, 42 men killed in bomb blasts, 37 men killed in Layari gang war, two women killed in Layari gang war, five men killed in Karo Kari, three women killed in Karo Kari, one killed by drinking toxic wine, 11 military and paramilitary personnel killed, two killed by military and paramilitary. Later, while talking to Daily Times HRCP chairperson said land grabbing was the core factor behind the target killings in the city. She was of the view that police should be shielded from political influence, as the target killers were not being brought to justice due to political patronages.
She said police must be strengthened rather running two parallel systems of police and the Rangers. She further said the dream of maintaining law and order could not be materialised unless political will was there. The de-weaponisation without discrimination can maintain law and order situation of the city, she suggested.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk