Widespread kidnapping cases highlighted
The Sindhi press highlighted the worsening law and order situation in the rural Sindh, demolition of villages from suburbs of cities and the current political scenario in its headlines, editorials and articles throughout the last week.
A kidnapping-for-ransom case in the Khairpur district raised questions about the efficiency of the police. Local dailies reported that after failing in arranging the ransom money for the release of three hostages, their families had urged the government to pay the amount on their behalf.
Daily Kawish wrote that the demand of the families showed they had lost hope in the effectiveness of the police. The kidnappers of three residents of Noorpur near Sobhodero have demanded a ransom of Rs 2 million.
The daily wrote that 21 residents of the Khairpur district were still hostages of the kidnappers. A reporter of Kawish and a television channel in Talhar, Haji Khan Lashari, and journalist Amar Singh have still not been released and the kidnapping of Dr Saifullah, along with his three companions, had added up to the charge-sheet against the police. The implementation of law has failed to prove its existence in Sindh, the daily maintained.
Kawish wrote the helplessness of the law in the province was evident from the fact that Sindh had been handed over to the remnants of the feudal system and its permanent interests.
Since the supporters of crime had connections at the higher level, the law had failed to find the middle ground, commented the daily.
Daily Koshish wrote: “The kidnapping industry in Sindh is at its peak,” as new incidents of kidnapping were happening everyday.
Though the administration of Sukkur and Jacobabad districts stated that Dadu’s psychiatrist Dr Saifullah, who was kidnapped while on his way to Sukkur after meeting his in-laws in the Jacobabad district, and his three companions, would be released without paying ransom, the daily wrote the recent kidnapping incidents showed that the police had not taken strong initiatives for the release of these people. The kidnappers have demanded a ransom of Rs 10 million.
Citizens are being kidnapped from everywhere in Sindh, and the initiative of the government for their release is disappointing, the daily wrote. By not taking an initiative for their release, the police have raised suspicions that it wanted the families to pay the ransom, it said.
Daily Ibrat wrote that Ameer Siddiqui, the new cleric of Islamabad’s controversial Lal Masjid, had supported the actions of Maulana Fazalullah against the law enforcement forces in Swat.
Daily Ibrat wrote an operation was likely against Maulana Fazalullah, as he had challenged the writ of the government and wanted to establish his own government like the management of the Lal Masjid.
The country is going through a crisis and no force like the Lal Masjid brigade can be afforded, the daily noted.
The fundamentalism was not the case of one or two areas, it should be stopped otherwise it would swallow each city, village and street of the country, the paper said. The daily condemned the attack on the vehicle of the security forces in Swat, which had killed around 30 people.
Daily Awami Awaz wrote that more than 60 houses had been demolished in Jhoolay Lal Colony near Noorani Basti in Hyderabad.
”Like Karachi, demolition of villages is continuing in Hyderabad,” wrote the daily. It noted a series for demolition of houses of the poor was continuing since long in the big cities. There was no organised movement for the rehabilitation of these displaced people, it said.
The daily said the government might have acted under legal cover but why it was so that the government always acted against the poor and why any action was not taken against land grabbers and builder mafias.
Source: The News
Date:10/31/2007
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