VEHARI, Jan 16: The year 2002 was marked by encounters with criminals and violence against women in Vehari district, according to the annual police report.

During the year, the district police killed 12 dacoits, seven terrorists and one innocent citizen in encounters. Vehari came in the limelight on May 14 when the most wanted terrorist, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi chief Riaz Basra, was shot dead in an encounter with police at Kot Sher Mohammad Ghulvi near Mailsi. Other terrorist killed last year included Javed Iqbal, Mohammad Tariq, Fayyaz Tarar and Mohammad Shakeel alias Hamza.

The most wanted dacoits of southern Punjab, Riaz Rath, Zahoor Rath and their gang members Rashid Muhana, Jafar Muhana, Sabir Rajput, Bashir Khoja, Allah Ditta Rath, Abid Bhatti, Zahoor Kharal, Ghulam Mohammad alias Gaman Kudhan and Mumtaz alias Mukha, were also killed in police encounters.

The year also saw violence against women as about 130 woman were abducted and about 100 raped. Sarwar Mai, Mumtaz Mai and Fayyaz Mai had their hair and eyebrows shaved on the orders of Panchayat for their allegedly illicit relations.

According to the report, six people were murdered in the district last year. Another 100 lost their lives in road accidents. In the most fatal accident, over 20 people were drowned when a speeding van plunged into the Mailsi Link Canal on Aug 3.

Poverty, unemployment and domestic disputes resulted in 50 suicide attempts, out of which 20 proved fatal.

As many as 6,899 cases were registered in the district against 5,380 people and 89 per cent of the cases solved.

Valuables worth Rs49,029,358 were taken away by robbers and thieves, out of which valuables worth Rs41,499,876 were recovered. Police nabbed around 589 proclaimed offenders, 1,478 absconders, 638 drug-pushers and 116 drunkards.

Over 2,500 cases of illicit arms possession were registered, 15 Klashnikovs, seven rockets, one rocket-launcher, 47 guns, 568 revolvers, 1,043 pistols, 243 carbines, 20 grenades, 36kg of charas, 936g of heroin, 5,132 bottles of liquor recovered and 114 distilleries unearthed. The police also busted 15 gangs of dacoits and arrested 53 gangsters.

It is interesting that the annual police report describes the law and order situation as having improved in 2002. However, while the report said that only six cases of murder were registered in the district, another law-enforcement agency showed over 100 murders in the district last year.

The year passed without any positive change in the lives of the people. The district government system failed to change their lot and solve their problems. The people remained deprived of basic amenities like drinking water, sanitation and Sui Gas and continued to suffer from shortage of schools, colleges, teachers, adequate medical facilities and good roads despite the fact that Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool paid five official visits to the district last year.