18 September 2004	Saturday	02 Shaban 1425

PESHAWAR, Sept 17: The NWFP Assembly on Friday condemned the murder of a 30-year-old sweeper, Nazar Masih, allegedly by a notorious gangster Malangay and his accomplices in Chiraghabad on the Phandoo Road on Thursday night and urged the government to immediately arrest the killers.

Speaking on a point of order, People's Party Parliamentarians' lawmaker Zahir Ali Shah told the house that the Christian community of the city had refused to bury the body of the sweeper until the arrest of Malangay and his two accomplices.

He said relatives of the deceased had decided to march to the NWFP Assembly to register their protest. The Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister announced Rs50,000 compensation for the victim's family and assured the house that the killers would not be spared.

The house was told that Malangay, a resident of Hazarkhwani, and his two unidentified accomplices, raided the house of Inayat Masih in Charghabad, at about 2.30am on Friday and molested womenfolk. When Inayat and his son Nazar Masih resisted them, Malangay shot at and wounded them.

Both Inayat Masih and Nazar were taken to the Lady Reading Hospital, but Nazar died on way to hospital while Inayat was hospitalized. The news of Nazar's death fuelled anger in the city's Christian community.

Condemning the gory incident, Bashir Ahmed Bilour of the Awami National Party demanded of the government to arrest the killers and pay compensation to the bereaved family. He said the killing of a minority community member would deepen the sense of insecurity among minorities, who already felt insecure after the promulgation of religious laws.

Anwar Kamal Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League-N also demanded of the government to arrest culprits, who were running a state within the state. He said the incident had confirmed the deteriorating law and order situation in the city which was a challenge for the MMA government.

He house also debated the arrest of a local jeweller by the Islamabad police. Zahir Ali Shah of the PPP said the arrest of Humayun Khan, a local jeweller, by the police had caused unrest among the jewellers community. Humayun was charged with buying stolen jewellery from a thief. On the assurance of the law minister, the lawmakers didn't press the issue.

Later, speaking on a call attention notice, Amir Zadah Khan of the MMA claimed that the president of a local clerk association had obtained a job in the education department on a fake domicile. He urged the chair to admit his notice for discussion.

Education Minister Maulana Fazal Ali said his department had not issued any fake domicile. If someone had obtained the job fraudulently, he would be sacked from the department, he added.

On his call attention notice, Hamid Iqbal of the PPP drew the attention of the House towards dilapidated conditions of road in his constituency. Law Minister Ayaz Khan assured him that the district government would be asked to repair the road.

MPAs Bashir Ahmed Bilour, Maulana Mohammad Idrees, Qalandar Khan Lohdi, Saeed Khan, Maulana Amanat Shah, Abdul Akbar Khan and Pir Mohammad Khan accused the Minister for Zakat and Usher of introducing nepotism and favouritism in the distribution of Zakat across the province.

They said the minister had made the Zakat a party affair which was an un-Islamic practice. Earlier, they said the minister had dissolved all zakat committees and installed his party men on them.

They said the deserving people had not been given Zakat in many areas. The discussion was continuing when Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan, who was in the chair, adjourned the session till Monday.