Target killings, extortion: ‘Witness protection bill to be tabled soon’

Information minister asks people to come forward and testify against criminals.

KARACHI:

The Sindh Information Minister, Sharjeel Inam Memon, announced that the government would unveil a ‘Witness Protection Bill’ in the provincial assembly to shelter those individuals that were witness to acts of crime.

The police have arrested many suspects involved in acts of target killing, but it is the responsibility of the courts to award punishment.

Many witnesses of high-profile cases have been murdered by aides of the arrested suspects, and that is why people avoid presenting themselves in court to testify. “The release of one target killer encourages a dozen others,” said the minister. “People should come forward to help the government and we shall provide security to them.”

In his first press conference since assuming office, Sharjeel Memon said that the chief minister had directed the Sindh police to take action against criminals regardless of their affiliation to any political party. A joint investigation team has submitted a report on target killings and the various gangs involved, and law-enforcement agencies shall soon arrest them. The minister was of the view that target killings were a conspiracy to defame the PPP-led government.

Sharjeel Memon lauded the efforts of the outgoing Sindh Home Minister, Zulfiqar Mirza, and said that the police under his leadership had arrested several notorious criminals, some of whom were involved in over a hundred murder cases.

He also said that there should be no objection regarding the intervention of the Federal Interior Minister in the affairs of the provincial government as he was performing his duties on the orders of the Prime Minister.

On Wednesday, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah said that “all murders were not target killings” and presented a positive picture of law and order in the city. He said that there have been just 29 incidents of target killings since January this year and 80 per cent of suspects involved have been arrested by the Sindh police.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th,  2011.