July 08, 2008	Tuesday	Rajab 4, 1429

SUKKUR, July 7: Secretary General of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl Senator Dr. Khalid Mehmood Soomro has voiced opposition to military operation in tribal areas and commutation of death sentence into life imprisonment.

According to a press release issued on Monday, Mr Soomro said during an address at Nizam-i-Quran Conference here on Sunday that the government should withdraw the decision on commutation of death penalty and reopen Lal Mosque and Jamia Hafsa.

He said that his party had agreed to be part of coalition government on condition that the government would solve people’s problems and bring about a change in internal and external policies but the government was now deviating from its promise and following the same policies of Musharraf government.

He said that instead of solving people’s problems the government was indulging in controversial issue after issue, which was harmful for the coalition.

He said that the country was passing through very critical phase, the economy was in a shambles and people were facing multiple crisis.

MR Soomro said that Musharraf’s pro-American policies had caused great damage to the country and he should be made accountable for his sins.

He demanded that the government should withdraw recent increase in fuel prices and take effective measures to overcome price hike and unemployment.

Arrests: Police on Monday claimed to have arrested 27 accused including 22 proclaimed offenders over the last month and found large quantity of arms and ammunition.

DPO Arib Mahar said at a press conference at his office that during police arrested five accused and recovered five stolen motorcycles, five rifles, four TT pistols, one KK rifle and a sizable quantity of ammunition.

Of the five accused, one Rasheed alias Rashoo Janwari was wanted to police in 20 cases of heinous crimes including, murder, robbery and street crimes, while the rest were involved in motorcycle and mobile snatching and street crimes.

He claimed that police over the last month had arrested 22 proclaimed offenders after encounters at different places and recovered two KK rifles, three rifles, two shotguns, 15 pistols and a sizable quantity of ammunition.

The DPO vowed that police operation would continue against anti-social elements and the police officers who showed good performance would not only be given cash rewards but would also be promoted.

KILLED: Unknown armed men gunned down an elderly man over an old enmity between two groups of Jeha tribe in Ibrahim Ji Wandh village in the limits of Madeji police late on Sunday night.

Ali Bux Jeha, 60, died on the spot and the police shifted his body to local hospital for post-mortem.

KIDNAPPED: Armed dacoits kidnapped two peasants and later released them after an encounter with police and villagers in Agan Khan Bakhrani village in the limits of Dakhan police station near Garhi Yasin late on Sunday night.

Reports said that Nazir Ahmed Khakhrani and Suhbat Khakhrani were working on their agricultural land when a group of armed dacoits kidnapped them at gunpoint.

Police and villagers chased the kidnappers and soon caught up with them. They fled leaving behind the hostages.