KARACHI: “Whatever assignment the government of Sindh has been entrusted under the National Action Plan must be given top priority. It is our commitment and we have to fulfil it,” said Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah while presiding over a cabinet meeting at CM House on Tuesday.

Earlier giving a briefing to the cabinet on NAP implementation, Sindh Home Secretary Mukhtiar Soomro said the legal committee after a thorough scrutiny had recommended 64 of the 85 cases for speedy trial in the military courts but the interior ministry cleared only three cases which were transferred to the military courts along with undertrial prisoners.

About armed militias such as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and their affiliates, the secretary said that 61 banned religious outfits were identified. “Since January 2015, 447 terrorists/ criminals have been killed and 41,077 arrested by the Sindh police,” he said.

He said the government adopted zero tolerance in hate speech cases. Since this year’s beginning, he said, some 753 cases under Loudspeaker Act had been registered and 417 suspects arrested. “Over all 24 cases of producing/distributing hate material have been registered and 28 arrested,” he added.

About measures to choke financing of terrorist organisations, the home secretary said relevant information retrieved during the interrogation of terrorists was shared with the authorities concerned such as the Federal Investigation Agency and the State Bank of Pakistan.

Mr Soomro said that a dedicated counterterrorism force (CTD) had been notified with an initial workforce of 100 personnel. Giving its details, Sindh police chief Ghulam Hyder Jamali said 2,000 retired army/ Rangers/ police personnel had been recruited in the CTD. “They have started their work. They killed 199 terrorists and arrested 62 others,” he said, adding that the department was housed in the Saeedabad training college.

The chief minister directed him to submit a detailed proposal for their office accommodation and other logistics requirement for necessary action.

Regarding zero tolerance against religious persecution, the secretary informed the cabinet that the Hindu Marriage Act was under consideration and a meeting was held with minority communities in this regard on June 3. “We also held a meeting with Bohra, Ismaili communities as was decided in the last apex committee meeting. Another meeting with them is scheduled for next week,” he added.

The chief minister directed the law department to expedite work for legislation of the Hindu Marriage Act so that it could be brought in the assembly during the next session.

Giving details of seminaries registration, the home secretary said that out of 9,590 madressahs, 6,503 were registered and 3,078 were yet to be registered. “In the unregistered madressahs, 517,696 students, including foreigners, were receiving education,” he said.

The secretary said that the criminal justice system was being revamped with the witness protection mechanism being provided in Witness Protection Act of 2013, Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 and the Pakistan Protection Act, 2014.

To improve investigation, he said, the cost of investigation had been provided in addition to the DNA labs which had been established at LUMS, Jamshoro and Dow varsity, Karachi. “Forensic lab facility is being developed and appointment of 200 inspectors (law graduates) is also under process,” the secretary said.

About Afghan refugees, the cabinet was informed that around one million Afghan refugees were living in Sindh. The figure could go to two million if other refugees were included, the secretary said. He said that meetings with SAFRON, Afghan Refugees Commissioner and Nadra were held in which it was agreed that 18 centres would be set up in the province for the registration of Afghan refugees and others. Of them, seven would be set up in Karachi, four in Hyderabad, two in Shaheed Benazirabad, two in Sukkkur, two in Mirpurkhas and one in Larkana.

Safoora Goth attack

The police chief said the terrorists involved in the Safoora Goth tragedy during interrogation confessed to their involvement in 37 cases of terrorism in Karachi and Hyderabad. The cases included murder, bank robberies and attacks on mosques, Rangers and police, IG Jamali said.

Highly educated with strong financial background, the suspects used code names and a Voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP) software for communication, he said. The group comprised more than 15 members who were active in terror and criminal activities, he added.

Talking about the Lyari operation, the police chief said that 81 gangsters involved in the Lyari gang warfare had been neutralized in 2015. The menace of kidnapping for ransom across Sindh had already been eliminated, he claimed, adding that highway and bank robberies had also been reduced.

Development strategy

Senior Minister for Finance Syed Murad Ali Shah informed the cabinet that Rs118 billion had been released during the outgoing year for development schemes. “This is a substantial amount and with the release of new financial year, various important schemes would be completed,” he said.

The chief minister directed all the ministers to monitor work on the development schemes of their departments and keep them visiting to witness their quality, pace of work and ensure timely completion.

He said: “I want you to be vigilant while carrying out development works of your department and in your constituency. I would personally visit the uplift works. It may be considered a new strategy and I would not tolerate any negligence in this regard.”

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers including Manzoor Wassan, Sharjeel Inam Memon, Jam Mehtab Dahar, Makhdoom Jameel, Sohail Siyal, Gianchand Israni, Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Dost Mohammmad Rahemoo, Jam Khan Shoro. Chief secretary Siddique Memon, principal secretary to the chief minister Alamuddin Bullo, additional chief secretary (development) Mohammad Waseem, senior member of the Board of Renevue Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah and other officers were also present.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2015

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