DAWN/The News International, KARACHI
23 March 1999, Tuesday, 4 Zilhaj 1419
KARACHI: The city police, during their offensive against criminals and terrorists in city, arrested five people on Monday and claimed recovery of a Kalashnikov and a stengun from them. Raiding Patni Mohalla in Baldia Town police limits, the Nazimabad police arrested Joint Sector Incharge of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Yaseen and Sector Incharge, Muhammad Ameen and Muhammad Hanif. Police claimed that they were involved in a number of murders, robberies and heinous crimes. The same police party, in another raid in the area, arrested Absar Husain, an accountant in the DMC South and a Unit Incharge of Muttahida in Nazimabad, Nazim Baqi.
Bhoja Airlines chief's son killed by kidnappersKARACHI: Asif Bhoja, the 17-year-old son of Farooq Bhoja, Chairman Bhoja Airlines, who was kidnapped five days ago, was found dead in the Al-Falah police station's jurisdiction on Monday. The boy was killed by a single-bullet fired at his skull and his body thrown outside a house in Green Town.
Eyewitnesses said that some unknown people came on motorbikes near a house number MC/80 on Monday evening, made a boy stand in front a wall and shot him dead. The area people informed the police who rushed to the spot and shifted the corpse to the JPMC for an autopsy. Later, Muhammad Hanif Bhoja, the uncle of Asif, identified him at the mortuary of the JPMC.
Asif, the youngest among six sons and one daughter of Farooq Bhoja, was kidnapped by unidentified persons on Thursday from the Lines Area when he was on his way in his vehicle along with his driver to the examination centre. The accused forced the driver to leave the car and took Asif along with them in the same vehicle. The vehicle was later found abandoned near the spot one hour after the incident.
The kidnapping had occurred on Thursday when Nawaz Sharif was in Karachi to take decisions on improving the law and order situation and there were extraordinary security arrangements in the city. Bhoja family contacted the high-ups of Sindh police and the authorities in Islamabad for the recovery of Asif.
Kidnappers contacted the Bhoja family and confirmed they had the boy. They demanded Rs 50 million as ransom. The family was tight-lipped during the five days. Sources claimed that the kidnappers had no motives other than getting the ransom.
The police claimed all along that Asif had not been kidnapped and only his vehicle was snatched. According to the police, Asif had returned home safely. In a hand out, a spokesman of police said: "True facts were that the vehicle carrying Asif was snatched from him at 8:30 on Thursday, while he himself was allowed to go. Asif Bhoja returned home half an hour later and the car jackers abandoned the vehicle near the Lines Area T&T Offices, from where it was recovered, within an hour."
When the DIG Karachi was asked about the claim made by the police that the boy had returned home, the DIG said: "The statement was issued to the press by the SSP East. You can ask him and he will be in a better position to answer."
Sources said that the police suspected of a political group's involvement in the kidnapping and the murder. For the recovery of Asif, they launched a district-wide operation and raided some offices of the group in Landhi, Korangi and other parts of the district.
Muttahida, PPP have reached complete understanding: SattarKARACHI: Politics is a marriage of convenience as nothing is lasting and final. At least currently, there is complete understanding between the MQM and the PPP -- once at logger heads on the issue of extra judicial killings -- on almost all political issues.
Both the parties claim that they are being politically victimized by the Nawaz government and the issue of extra-judicial killings is once again at the top of MQM's list and in PPP's media trial. "There is a complete understanding with PPP on almost all issues as in Sindh, the National Assembly and obviously in the Senate," said Dr Farooq Sattar talking to The News on Monday.
"We hope this understanding will further strengthen in the coming days," he added. In the current Sindh Assembly sessions, PPP and MQM have supported each other's resolutions and are extending all-out support to each other, MQM opting for seats closer to the PPP leaders.
Outside the Sindh Assembly, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Dr Farooq Sattar were seen together agitating on the road demanding that the government open the doors of the Sindh Assembly. MPAs from both the parties were also seen in arms and raising anti-government slogans despite their bitter past experiences with one another.
To a question Dr Farooq Sattar clarified that, "No alliance has been made between the two parties but the relationship will grow." When asked if there was any plan of a meeting between the top leadership of the two parties in London, Dr Farooq Sattar said at present there was no such plan in the offing or he was not aware of any.
MQM MNA rules out alliance with PML, PPPHYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement MNA, Sheikh Liaquat Hussain has ruled out the possibility of alliance with PPP and ruling PML. He said that both the parties had deceived the MQM in the past.
Talking to newsmen at a ceremony of ambulance handing over to Khidmat- e-Khalq Foundation (KKF), Hyderabad, Sheikh Liaquat, who is also the head of the Haq Parast group of MNAs in the National Assembly, said that Muslim League was putting all out efforts to eliminate MQM from Karachi and other Sindh cities, but this dream of the government would not come true as Muttahida enjoyed strong support of masses. He claimed that PML, which got 14 seats from Sindh in the general election, would not be able to get more than four seats from the province. He said PML should stop dreaming of conquering Karachi.
Regarding an alliance with the PONM, he said that political alliance with PONM or any other political group would not solve the problems of Sindh. "However, Sindh people can only solve their problems by joining hands together and therefore, Muttahida has joined hands with Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mohaz (JSQM) on a four-point formula considering it as the true representatives of Sindhi people."
He said that MQM never wanted to demand a separate province, but Altaf Hussain had cautioned that oppression and atrocities would change the geography of the area. Sheikh Liaquat said that MQM had filed its case in God's court and it was waiting for justice. He said Muttahida would not take revenge from those, who were killing the innocent people extra-judicially. He stated that Altaf Hussain wanted to set up a 600-bed hospital at KKF plot for providing better medical facilities to the people of Hyderabad without any discrimination.
'Govt preventing KKF from collecting hides'KARACHI: The government is using its state power to prevent the Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation from collecting hides and skins of sacrificial animals during Eid-ul-Azha, said MNA Shaikh Liaquat Hussain in a statement on Monday. He demanded that the president and the Chief Justice Supreme Court of Pakistan take notice of such government impediments. He stated that during Eid-ul-Fitr as well, the government had obstructed the KKF from collecting Zakat and Fitra. Shaikh alleged that the KKF members were once again being threatened directly and indirectly of 'dire consequences.'
25 vehicles snatchedKARACHI: The bandits injured three people, on their resistance, and armed men looted cash, jewellery, electrical appliances and snatched 25 vehicles from the various parts of the city. Three bandits, riding a motorcycle, snatched a vehicle of Azhar Hussain and Mehdi at Kemari in Jackson police jurisdiction. Armed men shot and injured them on their resistance. Two armed men barged into the shop of Shireenzada, in Gulzar-e-Hijri police limits, and looted Rs 35,000 and injured him on his resistance. Meanwhile, bandits looted cash, jewellery and other valuables from Abdul Malik in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Darakshan, Nazimabad and Korangi. The carjackers snatched 10 cars, two Suzuki Highroof, two yellow cabs, one jeep and 10 motorcycles from the different parts of the megapolis.
71 kg of charas recoveredKARACHI: The Excise and Taxation police of District West and Malir on Monday arrested four people from different parts of the city, allegedly involved in drug peddling and recovered 71 kilogramme of charas and three kilogramme of heroin powder. According to details, the Excise and Taxation police of District West raided arrested Nisar, who tried to escape, from Baldia Town. On Nisar's disclosure, police recovered 51 kg of charas. In an other raid, the Excises and Taxation police of District Malir searched a bus on the Super Highway, coming from Hyderabad to Karachi, and recovered 20 kg charas from Muhammad Shafiq's possession. In the third raid, the Excise and Taxation, Crime Branch, raided a house at the Afghan Camp and arrested two drug peddlers, Khaista Gul and Nazar Gul, and recovered three kilogram of heroin powder.
KC chief resigns after no-trust motion over corruptionKARACHI: The concept conceived by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to weed out corruption through Khidmat Committees (KCs), fell prey to "if you can't beat them, join them" principle and received a serious setback when, chairman of such committee for sub-division Gulshan-e-Iqbal District East resigned amid allegations of corruptions, sources apprised The News.
Dr Syed Asad Reza, Chairman Khidmat Committee sub-division Gulshan-e-Iqbal, had to resign from his post after ten members of the committee unanimously passed a vote of no-confidence against him.
The members of the committee, at a meeting held on February 22 at local office of PML(N), levelled serious allegation against Reza calling him incompetent and accusing him of being involved in corruption, thus making him the most undesirable person to continue as the chairman of the KC sub-division Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
All the members, during the meeting, were of the view that the committee was trying its best to serve the people within its jurisdiction but non-cooperation of the chairman was preventing it to achieve predefined objectives. Sardar Iftekhar, member of the committee, regretted that the chairman in clear violation of KCs laws, failed to convene a formal meeting since its inception.
Another member, Malik Abid Hussain described the chairman as an ill-mannered man having no respect for any of the members. The chairman was also accused by members of pressurising police and other departments, for taking action against innocent people on false complaints.
Citing the examples of corruption by Reza, the members alleged that the chairman received heavy amount in bribe from Shahi Khan Gabol in the case of Azeem Khan Goth Graveyard, received Rs 6000 from Allah Bachaya in the case of Allah Bachaya versus Suleman, involved in hat collection from PCOs in Gulshan-e-Iqbal and harassment of vendors under the garb of removing encroachment.
The committee members including Raja Basharat, Sardar Iftekhar Hussain, Ali Murad Balidi, Rana Abdul Shakoor, Moulana Mushraf Hussain, Syed Hussain Akhtar, Zahid Ali Khan, Malik Abid Hussain, Abu Baker Wayani and Abdul Ghafar Chohan in the meeting held on February 22, unanimously passed a vote of no-confidence against Syed Asad Reza and sent a copy of it to Chairman Central Khidmat Council Cabinet Division Islamabad. The chairman Syed Asad Reza, the source said, finding no way out but to surrender on March 11, resigned from his post recommending to appoint Raja Basharat as the chairman in his place.
Asfandyar warns against 'Talibanisation'ISLAMABAD: Monday's sitting of the National Assembly provided a rare opportunity to the treasury benches to loudly applaud a speech by an opposition member. The government so far says that it would not rebut the points raised by Asfandyar Wali.
Asfandyar was heard in silence by a quorumless House as he continued his speech on the presidential address. The front seats of ministers remained almost empty once again with only a couple of the cabinet members present.
In a forceful delivery he warned the government of the "Talibanisation movement" in the country "which had completely eroded state authority". He said time would come when no force would be able to take on the armed fundamentalists.
"There is complete Talibanisation of FATA, Hangu, Quetta, Bannu and Laki Marwat. Where is the state authority when private homes are broken into and their television sets taken away? If the state continues to keep its eyes closed, then there would be complete anarchy," he warned. He said that he had apprehensions that if this state of affairs continued, the very existence of the state would be challenged.
"If the state authority collapses, the only armed force would be the fundamentalists and no force in the country could take them on. We beseech you to have pity on the wretched people of this country," he said.
Asfandyar asked the government to explain how two parallel laws were functioning in the country? "The NWFP governor announces Shariah in Malakand. What kind of a message are you sending? Please tell the Prime Minister that we can fight Taliban on the political front but what can we do when political leaders declare that they are against parliamentary system and want Jehadi politics. The government has to satisfy us as these different fundamental groups are distributing dangerous literature."
However, his harshest remarks were for the President himself when the ANP leader asked: "Why Tarar did not have the guts to tell them how many of his ordinances had been thrown out by the Supreme Court?"