Hostile foreign intelligence agencies want to disrupt peace in Pakistan, Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah told Senate Standing Committee, here on Monday.
However, this statement was not enough to satisfy some committee members like Kamran Murtaza, who was invited as a special gesture. Kamran sought answers to two different sets of questions: Why, only opposition members were targeted by miscreants and terrorists, and why not some senior leaders of PML-Q?
Relating to the turmoil witnessed in Sindh after December 27 following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, he asked why only election offices in Sindh were torched? About the first question, Kamil Agha and Tahira Latif thought it was not relevant, rather it was an insinuation, and walked out. Nevertheless, the chair Talha Mahmood requested a committee member Colonel Mashadi (Retd) to bring them back. The two protesting members then returned to the meeting.
In the meeting, Abdul Majeed, the Additional IG Sindh revealed that about 1,663 vehicles (1,180 in Karachi alone) were burnt in three days of violence including 37 trawlers loaded with cars, were burnt in Hyderabad.
About the first part, Kamal Shah informed the meeting that all top leaders of the country had been given guidelines how to avert danger during terrorist attack. About the second, he denied that only election offices had been burnt down in the Sindh. He said jails were equally attacked, 'probably they were symbols of government property.'
However, an effort has been made to sensitise all provinces but it was also a fact that security forces were slow in reaching sensitive places. He said it was also a fact that criminal elements were always out to take advantage of a bad situation.
Nevertheless, some weak points had been strengthened. He said that because of this effort, Muharram passed off peacefully in the country. It might be worthy to quote Mashahdi who wanted everyone to show kindness to the police who did their best but received very little compensation in pay, which comparatively, was less than what the police received in the Punjab province.
Mashahdi also sought increase in the number of police force, both in Sindh as well as in Karachi because 'Sindh is a very sensitive province.' The PPP workers were not responsible for the chaos because they were in a state of shock after the death of their leader, Mashahdi said. He blamed Afghan refugees for flaring up violence.
'They came out in hordes and started looting,' the member said. He added that the sad incident after December 27 was utter failure of co-ordination among security forces. Be that as it may, Kamran Murtaza continued in his refrain that in the manner things were then handled particularly the torching of election offices, 'creates doubts in our minds.'
The meeting ended with passing a number of resolutions, including condolence over Benazir's death. The meeting also desired that the present commission, looking into the incident, must compensate the suffering people swiftly. The committee recommended increased funding to the Interior Division to look after law and order in a satisfactory manner.