Suicide attackers are enemies of Islam, Pakistan: SIC

LAHORE: The suicide attacks are forbidden and totally against the teachings of Islam, and suicide bombers are the great enemies of Islam and Pakistan.

The Sunni Ittihad Council urged the judiciary to take strict action against those involved in suicide attacks on mosques and shrines.

This was the crux of the speakers at ‘Istehkaam-e- Pakistan Sunni Conference’ organised by Sunni Ittihad Council (SIC) at Minar-e-Pakistan (Iqbal Park) on Sunday.

The SIC Chairman Sahibzada Haji Muhammad Fazal Karim, in his address, condemned the terrorist attacks in various parts of the country, especially on mosques and shrines of saints. He called for an open trial of those arrested for their alleged involvement in terror activities.

Fazal Karim said that at Minar-e-Pakistan, they took oath for making every effort to save Pakistan, adding, now the country’s politics would be done on merit and the SIC would raise up a leadership from middle class of the society.

He said that SIC would not tolerate any negative change in the textbooks of various educational institutions of the country, and would ensure an equal educational system for the rich and the poor.

Since the masses are well aware and awakened to achieve their rights, he said, the SIC would not be at peace until it establish ‘Nizam-e-Mustafa’ in the country.

Fazal Karim urged the judiciary to take strict action against those involved in the heinous crimes of suicide attacks on mosques and shrines.

He also demanded the government to expose the elements resorting to target killings especially in Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan. He also impressed upon the government to improve further the law and order situation in the country.

The SIC advocates the proposal of the formation of new provinces for better administration and management, he added.

Ulema, Mushaikh, Shrines’ Sajadanasheen, and religious scholars including Syed Mushahid Hussain Gardezi, Mufti Muhammad Haseeb Qadri, Allama Naeem Javed Noori, Pir Safdar Shah, Ejaz Sarwat also addressed the conference.

‘Policing isn’t easy in Quetta’

Shehzad Baloch

QUETTA: The police in Quetta are finding it hard to maintain order and peace in the city due to lack of human resources as there are merely 5,500 police recruits deployed for a population of around one million.

DIG operations says lack of manpower, technology makes it even harder.

Talking to journalists, DIG Operations Quetta Hamid Shakil said that it has become a very difficult task for the police to overcome crime with fewer policemen.

“As many as 2,200 out of 5,500 personnel, including officers, are deputed within CPO, CCPO and Operations. A single policeman is deputed for 450 civilians. Under such circumstances there is need of 15,000 more police personnel in the city,” he explained.

Commenting over the installation of CCTV cameras in the city, Shakil said that surveillance cameras had been installed in few places, but the project has been abandoned due to a lack of funds.

“Until cameras are not set up in all the sensitive areas, the ratio of crime will not decrease,” said Shakil, adding that only Education Minister Tahir Mahmood has provided funds for the installation and it would be better if other ministers also contribute.

Two months earlier, former CCPO Ghulam Shabbir Shiekh also complained about the lack of funds for surveillance cameras.

“Policemen do not have the technology to trace calls of cell phones because in present circumstances it is impossible to give criminals a tough time without being equipped with modern technologies,” he added.

According to sources, the police in Quetta have been prevented from acquiring technology for tracing calls by secret agencies. The Sindh Police has also been stopped from purchasing similar technology.

However, the Home Department has said that they are going to purchase technologies to trace satellite calls as banned outfits usually claim the responsibility of suicide attacks, bomb blasts, target killings and attacks on government installations.