KARACHI, Feb 26: Chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Benazir Bhutto, has deplored the brutal murder of two minor girls in Gadap and termed it a failure on the part of the authorities to protect the people's lives.

In a statement issued by her spokesman, Ms Bhutto chided the regime over the regular occurrence of such incidents, particularly in Sindh. She demanded that the facts behind the brutal incident, and attempts at damage control, be made public as soon as possible.

She claimed that one of the reasons for the deterioration in law and order was the "politicization" of the law-enforcing agencies. The agencies were not being penalized for lapses.

They were only being used for nabbing the political opponents, added Ms Bhutto. She condoled with the families of Hajra and Sassi, who were kidnapped from the PPP-dominated area and later on were killed.

She claimed that the provincial government and its functionaries were busy in deriving political mileage from the incident. It was by now evident that the culprits enjoyed the patronage of some influential persons, she said, alleging that through this incident some elements in the provincial coalition were trying to "capture" Malir.

Meanwhile, in another statement leaders of the PPP took exception to Information Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmad's remarks against Ms Bhutto over the nuclear issue.

The PPP's Information Secretary Taj Haider, Nawab Yusuf Talpur and Munawar Suhrawardy alleged in the statement that in order to protect a usurper, Mr Ahmad was involved in damaging national interest as well as institutions.

They said no government of Ms Bhutto's was ever involved in nuclear proliferation but Mr Ahmad was making obnoxious and irresponsible remarks and telling lies. They said the PPP and its leader Ms Bhutto would do everything to expose the alleged "misdeeds" of the regime.

They claimed that the Establishment in Pakistan was responsible for the smuggling of narcotics, promoting extremism and terrorism and arming religious extremists. The people had every right to ask Mr Ahmad why he had betrayed Nawaz Sharif to favour a military dictator.

SOYEM: Soyem of the two minor girls, found killed adjacent to the Gadap police station, was observed on Thursday at Memon Goth.

The two girls, Hajra, 8, and Sassi, 5, had gone missing on Feb 21. Their disappearance was reported to the Gadap police station, the area people said and complained that the police declined to register a case and remained reluctant in locating the missing girls.

The recovery of their decomposed bodies triggered violence in the vicinity on Monday evening where people took to the street, lit bonfire and staged a sit-in, encircling the area police station in protest.

The soyem observed at the residence of the girls was attended by a large number of family members, relatives, neighbourers and political personalities from the PPP, the ARD, and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

According to a fax statement from London, Muttahida chief Altaf Hussain rang up to the bereaved family and condemned the brutal killing of the girls. He also expressed his condolences with the parents. "We share the grief with the parents over the tragic loss."

The Muttahida chief pointed out that nothing was being uttered about the blood stained sheet, liquor and acid bottles and police belt, recovered from the rooms of policemen. The SHO, allegedly involved in the killing, was produced in a court without handcuffed. "Killers had blessings of some influential," he maintained.

Mr Hussain demanded of the federal and provincial governments to hold a high-level inquiry into the incident and those responsible be given exemplary punishment.

Speaking at the occasion, vice-president of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), Zain Ansari announced an eight-day mourning on the tragic killing of the two girls. He also announced that the ARD would stage a protest demonstration in front of the Karachi Press Club on Saturday against the killing.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Pakistan People's Party took out a procession from Gadap police station to Memon Goth chowk in protest against the killing. Abdullah Murad Baloch, an MPA, said: "All the country is mournful on the tragic incident that occurred in my constituency."

He said the alleged killers were enjoying in police station. He demanded that the killers be arrested and tried in the anti-terrorism court. "We will continue to protest till the justice is done."

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Sardar Ali Muhammad Khan Mahar has assured Altaf Hussain, leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, that the killers of the two minor girls will not be spared, and the action will also be taken under the law against those patronizing the killers, adds PPI.

The chief minister gave this assurance to the MQM chief who contacted him on telephone from London on Thursday, says a press release. Mr Hussain informed the chief minister that the waderas of the area were providing every facility to the accused police officials during their custody.