May 18, 2003	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 15, 1424

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QUETTA, May 17: The session of the Balochistan Assembly witnessed on Friday an uproar when the opposition members tabled a motion to condemn the killing of a truck driver and demanded the arrest of police officials involved in the incident.

Speaker Jamal Shah Kakar, while presiding over the session, ruled that the adjournment motion was out of order.

A heated debate dominated the proceedings of the day in the House causing a division among the ranks of the treasury benches over the role of the police.

Police performance was not only criticized by the opposition members but also some of the members of the treasury benches were too hard on the police.

Abdur Rahim Ziaratwal of the PMAP tabled an adjournment motion alleging the police of killing two citizens on Tuesday.

He demanded the arrest of the officials nominated in the FIR and suspension of the services of the other staff of the police station.

Home Minister Sardar Sanaullah Zehri claimed that truck driver and cleaner were smugglers and died in a crossfire. He said that armed men, escorting the trucks, had first opened fire on the officials of the law-enforcement agency.

Mr Zehri stated that action would be initiated against the officials keeping in view the findings of the report to be submitted by Maulana Noor Mohammad, who heads a fact-finding committee.

Opposing the home minister’s version Revenue Minister Mir Asim Kurd blamed the police of excesses and said that the officials in order to justify their illegal action labelled the drivers as smugglers. The police never apprehend dacoits or highwaymen but tortured poor citizens, he remarked.

Jaffar Khan Mandokhel of the PML-Q urged the mover not to insist on the motion after the assurance granted by the home minister, saying that they should wait till the inquiry report was submitted.

Mir Jan Jamali of the PML-Q backed the opposition demand and said that officials of the concerned police station should be transferred to ensure impartial investigation.

Akhtar Hussain Langoo of the BNP-M alleged that police never took action against anti-social elements, but targeted innocent people.

Mir Aslam Bhootani said that opposition members should not insist on the motion in a childish manner.

Kachkol Ali Baloch of the BNM was critical of the police actions and demanded that the government should protect the rights of citizens.

The mover was reluctant to accept the assurance by the home minister and kept insisting, but the speaker ruled that motion was out of order.

Replying to a question, the home minister informed the House that government had no plans of launching operation in Dera Bugti and stated that deployment of Frontier Corps was aimed to protect the sensitive installations in the area.

He stated that from April 2002 till January last 19 terrorist acts were committed in the Dera Bugti and added that it was the responsibility of the government to safeguard the interest of the state.

The minister, replying to another question, said that 1,000 men were recruited in the Levies Force in Kohlu district to maintain law and order.

The session was adjourned till Monday.