LARKANA, Dec 29: The incidents of Karo-kari had decreased in the year 2002 as compared to the last four years in the Sindh province.

This was stated by Mohammed Siddique Abro, a leader of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Sindh chapter, here the other day.

He said that so far 382 people had been killed under the pretext of Karo-kari in the province.

He elucidated of these 245 were females and 137 were males.

He said that the culprits in only 216 cases had been arrested in 2002, and added that the police had hushed up 20 per cent of the cases, and in certain areas the police was hand in glove with the local landlords so as to cover up the crime.

He told this correspondent that Jacobabad district remained on top of the list where 91 people had been killed during the year 2002 followed by Ghotki (67), Larkana (62), and Shikarpur (57) districts.

Mr Siddique said that the crime graph of such incidents had decreased with the promulgation of an ordinance coupled with strict measures taken locally by certain districts where FIRs had been registered under section 302 treating Karo-kari as murder.

He said that 50 per cent women had been killed by their husbands while the rest either by their fathers or brothers.

He said that in 40 per cent of the cases the weapon used was a gun, in 25 per cent of the cases the weapon used was a TT pistol, in 15 per cent of the cases the weapon used was an axe, and in 10 per cent of the cases the weapon used was a Kalashnikov.

He said that 30 per cent Karo-kari cases were related to personal enmity, while in 70 per cent land and matrimonial matters remained the motives behind these killings.

He elucidated that only 10 per cent cases were actually related to Karo-kari.

Mr Siddique said that in 1998, 473 people had been killed in the province on the pretext of Karo-kari, in 1999, 510 people had been killed, in 2000, 435 people had been killed, and in 2001, 460 people had been killed.

He said that from the year 1998 to 2002 a total of 2,260 people had been killed of which the number of women was 1,447 and men was 813.

PPP: Despite having a bitter experience of witnessing pre- and post-poll rigging, the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) will field candidates in the bye-elections.

Nisar Khuhro, the leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly, said this while talking to this correspondent.

He elucidated that the returning officers were still the same, and cited the examples of Kashmore and Mithi where at 60 and 80 polling stations respectively 100 per cent votes had been shown polled.

He said that before taking oath, Dr Ibad should detach himself from the party as Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali did.

He said that certain cases were pending against Dr Ibad.

He said that Pakistan needed a strong pro-people rule, democratic institutions, and a stable Constitution.

He accused the government of promoting and encouraging “lotacracy”, and added that the “lotacracy was patronized under the nose of the government”.

Replying to a question whether the PPP would support this feeble government when the people who matter attempted to dismiss it blaming the politicians as inefficient to run the government, Mr Khuhro said that martial law would not be an answer to this situation, “and why not new elections?”

He said that the PPP had opened dialogue with the MQM with all sincerity, but it was the MQM’s double-faced policy that the negotiations remained fruitless.

He said that the PPP would take up the Water Apportionment Accord, the NFC Award, and other issues in the Sindh Assembly.

He criticized the MQM pointing out that in 1990 and 1993, the PPP had opposed the NFC Award but MQM supported it, in 1991 PPP opposed the Water Apportionment Accord but the MQM defended it. “It was the MQM that had previously opposed the Anti-Kalabagh Dam move in the Sindh Assembly tabled by the PPP.”

He feared that the MQM had entered into an agreement with the government deviating from its demand of the 1940 resolution, and if not, then both the government and the MQM should clarify their stand.

He said that the PPP deserters would face action in accordance with the party’s constitution, and they had been served show cause notices regarding it.