QUETTA, Jan 26: Members of the Balochistan Assembly, including ministers, demanded on Wednesday strict measures to stop kidnappings for ransom, highway robberies and target killings and restore peace and order in the province.

During a debate on the law and order situation, they said influential people were supporting gangs involved in kidnappings for ransom and other heinous crimes.

Appointment of deputy commissioners and police officers on merit would help solve the law and order problem, they said.

The legislators said that tribal chiefs should help stop crimes and restore peace.

Home Minister Mir Zafarullah Zehri said the government was taking all measures it could to maintain law and order and curb incidents of kidnapping, killing and robbery.

Winding up the debate, he said police and other law-enforcement agencies had busted several gangs involved in these crimes and this would help reduce such incidents.

The minister said the government had prepared a strategy to make the highways safe and law-enforcement personnel had been deployed in various areas.

He said the provincial government had released special funds to provide modern weapons, equipment and vehicles to police, Levies and Balochistan Constabulary.

Mir Zafarullah said complaints about corruption in recruitment in police and Levies would be looked into.

The home minister said that the government had received a list of 122 missing people belonging to the province. He said 32 of the people on the list had been traced with the efforts of the federal and provincial authorities, some others had left the country and the list now contained 55 names.

Minister for Communications and Works Mir Sadiq Ali Umrani termed the law and order situation serious and urged tribal elders to use their influence to curbing increasing incidents of kidnappings for ransom and highway robberies.

He demanded restoration of the police system and withdrawal of the Levies Force from Nasirabad district.

“The government should recruit 3,000 youths from each tribe in the Levies to maintain law and order,” he suggested.

Chief Minister Minister's Adviser Dr Fauzia Marri said there were 1,409 personnel of provincial Levies, 327 of federal Levies and 390 of police in Kohlu district, but only 150 men of the provincial Levies and an equal number of policemen were performing their duties.

“Personnel of law-enforcement agencies with their official weapons are involved in heinous crimes in the district,” she claimed.

Speaker Aslam Bhootani asked the home secretary to investigate the matter.

MPA Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhel said the Afghan war had adversely affected the situation in Balochistan.

He said peace could not be restored until those involved in heinous crimes were killed and action was taken against officials and personnel of law-enforcement agencies who supported criminal mafias.

Haji Ali Madad Jattak said deputy commissioners and police officers should be appointed on merit.

Irrigation Minister Sardar Aslam Bizenjo said kidnappings for ransom were damaging the province's economy.

Local Government Minister Zamrak Khan Piralizai said organised groups having patronage of tribal elders were involved in the kidnapping cases. He said some international forces were also creating a law and order situation in Balochistan because the region was a gateway to Central Asia.

Health Minister Maulana Ainullah Shams said the law-enforcement agencies should be given a free hand to maintain law and order.