KARACHI, May 31: Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqi has described MMA’s call for strike on Wednesday as unreasonable stating that the government had taken immediate steps after the assassination of JI leader Aslam Mujahid and took all measures which a government should take in such cases.

Addressing a press conference, Rauf Siddiqi said that even if MMA had their own government in this province, they would not have taken such stringent measures. He said that soon after the murder of Aslam Mujahid, the government announced reward money of Rs2.5 million for identification of killers besides institution of judicial inquiry into the matter so that no doubt was left.

The minister pointed out that government itself announced the judicial inquiry through an impartial forum and side by side constituted an investigation team headed by DIG Investigation Manzoor Mughal which was now taking stock of the whole situation from all aspects and angles and all the events were being looked into.

He said that it had been due to the timely action of police that the incident at Madinatul Ilm could not take turn of a major tragedy. However, he said it was regretful that the whole area was jammed and it seemed as an organized conspiracy that six lives were burnt alive after sprinkling petrol at KFC in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

Rauf Siddiqi claimed that some of the culprits had been arrested red handed and investigations were under way.

He said that the Sindh government would pay Rs0.3 million to the family of deceased head constable Raja Mohammed Arshad and the Police Foundation would give another Rs0.3 million to his heirs.

He also announced a reward of Rs50,000 each for two constables who encountered the terrorists and suffered injuries. He said with one step promotion, they were being made head constables.

Using his special powers, the home minister announced posthumous promotion of deceased head constable to the rank of ASI and said that he was being recommended for civil award for demonstration of bravery. He also announced to provide job to a member of his family in the police department.

To a question, he said that one of the attackers, who was killed in firing by police, had been identified as Asif and his accomplice as Tehsin, who was under treatment at a hospital.—APP