Sindh govt to bear educational expenses of children of murdered Bajaur labourers

This is an attempt to help the aggrieved families when their breadwinners are no more, says Sindh CM

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced on Sunday that along with providing compensation, his government would also bear the educational expenses of the children of three Pakhtun labourers, hailing from Bajaur Agency, who were killed in Larkana on February 13.

He said this while addressing a delegation from Bajaur Agency at the Chief Minister House. The delegation was headed by Awami National Party (ANP) Sindh chapter President Shahi Syed and included Salahuddin, Auragzeb, Said Badshah, Abdul Majeed, Anwarul Haq, Aamir Khan and Gul Afzal. Also present on the occasion were Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, Adviser to the CM on Information, Law and Anti-corruption Barrister Murtaza Wahab, special assistants to the CM, Waqar Mehdi and Rashid Rabbani.

“The compensation cannot be termed as the price of life as life is precious but this is an attempt to help the aggrieved families when their breadwinners are no more,” said the CM, with regards to the Sindh government bearing educational expenses of the children.

Shah said that the incident was carried out to flare up ethnic tensions in Sindh. “I am thankful to my Pakhtun brothers, especially Shahi Syed, who intervened in the matter in time and thwarted the conspiracy,” said the CM.

He said that the three labourers killed in Larkana were martyrs, adding that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was concerned about the incident as well and had directed him [CM] to ensure the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.

According to the CM, Sindh is an inclusive province. He gave the examples of Larkana DIG hailing from Punjab, Larkana SSP from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the deputy commissioner from the Saraiki belt. “This is how we believe in brotherhood, national unity and merit,” said Shah. He added that he had called former Larkana DIG Javed Akbar and SSP Masood Bangash to brief the delegation.

The police officials apprised the visiting delegation that 28 suspects have been arrested and the group involved in the murder has been identified. However, they said that the actual culprits had gone underground, but their links were established out of Pakistan have been traced and the culprits will be arrested shortly.

“The people of Sindh have always given respect, support and have helped us [Pakhtuns] in the time of need,” said ANP leader Shahi Syed. This was why he and other Pakhtuns took the incident as an act of terrorism, he added.