KARACHI: The provincial authorities besides digitally recording the exact locations of 3,662 seminaries, have sealed 167 madressahs on different charges, registered 6,503 out of 9,590 madressahs, and arrested 63,055 criminals/ terrorists, including 879 belonging to Al-Qaeda and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, since September 2013.

Also, 1,155 terrorists/criminals, including 164 leaders of Al-Qaeda and the TTP, were killed in encounters during the past two years.

The figures were shared in a meeting held at CM House on Wednesday to review the implementation of National Action Plan decisions. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who chaired the meeting, later left for Islamabad to attend a NAP meeting to be presided by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday.

The meeting was informed that Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif had provided latest arms to the Sindh police.

Implementation of National Action Plan decisions reviewed

Giving presentation to the chief minister, Home Secretary Mukhtiar Soomro said that geo-tagging of 3,662 madressahs — 2,122 in Karachi and 1,548 in Hyderabad — had been completed so far under the NAP. He expressed the hope that the remaining 5928 seminaries would also be geo-tagged soon.

He said the geo-tagging of madressahs would help the authorities see their exact locations.

Of the total 9,590 seminaries in Sindh, 6,503 have been registered and the other 2,920 are yet to be registered, according to him. It is estimated that 517,695 students are enrolled in the unregistered seminaries.

Sindh police chief Ghulam Hyder Jamali told the chief minister that 167 madressahs had been sealed under different charges and 21 suspected seminaries were searched in Karachi, Hyderabad and Badin.

In a few seminaries, hate material was recovered against which cases had been registered accordingly, he said.

The chief minister thanked the Ulema from different schools of thought for extending support and cooperation in the whole exercise. “All the concerned Ulema must be taken on board while registering their madressahs or searching the suspected seminaries,” he told the home secretary and the police chief.

Talking about Afghan refugees identification and repatriation, the home secretary said there were 92,646 registered Afghan nationals in Sindh. Around 650 families and 3,021 individuals voluntary returned to their country with the help of the Ministry of SAFRON since 2015, he said.

He added that 35,278 Afghans had also been repatriated from Sindh till August 2015.

The secretary said 720 cases registered against illegal Afghan nationals, 2,100 illegal Afghan nationals arrested, 1,309 nominated 953 under judicial custody, 356 bailed out and 222 illegal Afghan repatriated by the IG Jails.

About cases and executions, Mr Soomro said that out of 458 condemned prisoners, 18 had been executed. “Their 395 appeals are pending in the Sindh High Court and one in Federal Shariat Court, 53 in Supreme Court, while five mercy petitions are pending with President of Pakistan.” The Sindh High Court stayed four black warrants, he added.

Giving details of armed militia, the home secretary said that 61 banned religious organisation had been identified. He said: “1155 terrorists/criminals were killed, including 164 leaders of Al-Qaeda and TTP and 130 associated with the Lyari gang warfare, between Septmber 2013 and September 2015,” he said. He added 16,650 illicit arms and explosions were seized during the operation.

About the suspects handed over by the Rangers in heinous offences during the operation till August 31, IG Jamali said that 495 had been arrested, 489 challaned, six were under investigation, two had been convicted and four acquitted. He added that 462 suspects were in jails and 21 were granted bail.

The IG also briefed the chief minister about the latest arms the Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif had provided to the Sindh police and said that the COAS further assured the police of equipping each and every police station with latest equipments and gadgets.

The chief minister said it was due to the personal interest of the army chief that the operation against terrorists produced tangible results. “It would be nice of him if he takes necessary measures to equip our police stations with modern equipments,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2015

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