LARKANA, Feb 28: Speakers at a seminar on Saturday stated that Punjab topped in Karo-kari killings in the country. The seminar "human rights and policing" was held under the aegis of Sindh police in collaboration with the ministry of law, justice and human rights.

According to the figures presented in the seminar some 1,797 Karo-kari cases were registered in Punjab from 1997 to May 30, 2003, out of which 1,142 had been disposed of. The conviction ratio was assessed at 28 per cent and the acquittal ratio 71.97 per cent.

During the same period some 910 Karo-kari cases were registered in Sindh and the conviction was 8.53 per cent while the acquittal ratio was 91.4 per cent.

In Balochistan only 57 cases were registered and 39 disposed of while the conviction remained 33.3 per cent and the acquittal percentage was 43.13 per cent.

At least 239 Karo-kari cases were registered in NWFP out of which 141 were disposed of while the conviction was only 7 per cent and the acquittal was 92.9 per cent.

The accused were reported to be 56.7 per cent husbands, 2.7 per cent fathers, 8.77 per cent brothers, 1.42 per cent sons, 29.6 per cent others relatives.

Sindh AIGP Niaz Ahmed Siddiki, DIG training Saud Ahmed, former ambassador Abdul Razzak Soomro, Amnesty International Pakistan secretary-general Iqbal Detho, district Nazim Khurseed Junejo, human rights activists Akhtar Ali, Kalpna Devi advocate, Viqarunisa Hashmi and others spoke on the occasion.

It was pointed out that illegal raids, detentions and torture had remained the hallmark of our police.The speakers said the police as an institution had yet not acquired the status that it should had only because of its negative attitude.

It was also pointed out that police in Pakistan were underpaid, "underfed" and under-trained than police of other countries.

The seminar concluded that people suffered due to leniency by the judiciary and lacunas in the legislative system. This coupled with other socio-economic changes also increased the cases of Karo-kari.