KARACHI, Sept 22: A total of 33 people were killed in tribal clashes in the year 2005 and 24 of them were killed in Shikarpur district and another nine in Sukkur district.

This was stated by Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui while replying to a question asked by Hameedullah Khan during question hour in the Sindh Assembly on Friday.

Giving a break-up, he said that in Shikarpur district, 10 people were killed in Lakhi Ghulam Shah, four in Naper Kot, three in Chak, two each in Rustam and Jagan and one each in Sultan Kot, Golo Daro and Lakhi Gate.

In Sukkur district, six people were killed in the jurisdiction of the C-section police station and one each in Baiji Sharif, Pano Aqil and Sadhuja.

In reply to a question asked by Ms Humera Alwani, the home minister said that a total of 51 cases of kidnapping for ransom were reported to CPLC in Karachi during the year 2005-2006.

He termed the allegation ‘absolutely baseless’ that the CPLC would usually direct an affected family to pay the ransom.

Answering a question asked by Hameedullah Khan, the minister informed the house that in fact, no operation against dacoits had been conducted in Sukkur and Shikarpur districts during 2005.

However, on April 10, 2004, an operation in Shah Belo had been launched which lasted 10 months. No special funds had been allocated for the operation, he said, adding that it had been carried out with the normal police budget.

Replying to another question, asked by the same member, the minister said it was correct that fitness certificates for buses, mini-buses and coaches were issued for a period of six months. He explained the procedure involved, and stated that if a vehicle turned out to be unfit and was denied the fitness certificate, the operator was directed to rectify the defects and seek the certificate again.

In reply to Mr Khan’s yet another question, the minister informed the house that during the year 2003, no inspector had been recruited whereas 188 ASIs had been recruited after they were recommended by the Sindh Public Service Commission.

Answering a question raised by Ms Kulsoom Nizamani, the minister stated that no person was killed under karo-kari custom in Tando Allahyar district during the period Jan 1, 2005 to April 1, 2006. Two persons, one male and one female, were killed in Hyderabad district during the period, he added.

As on April 1, 2006, 68 female prisoners were languishing in the Special Prison for Women, Hyderabad, and out of them, 54 were undergoing trials and 14 convicted, he told the house in reply to another question from the same member.—APP