Target killings in Balochistan: Interior ministry admits failure in curbing violence

Incidence of violence increased despite deployment of additional troops, allocation of over Rs1.6b, says govt report.

ISLAMABAD:

With over 1,450 people killed in 1,649 incidents over a span of five years, the government’s efforts to curb targeted killings in Balochistan are being termed “ineffective”.

The administration has spent approximately Rs900 million so far by deploying 17 units and paramilitary troops to put an end to the disturbing trend that has only increased in the province over the last two years, according to a report compiled by the interior ministry’s Crisis Management Cell (CMC), which was submitted to the National Assembly on Friday.

In addition to that, the government allocated an extra Rs720 million for purchasing arms and ammunition, as well as logistics for the Levies, to ensure better border security.

“Over 3,208 citizens sustained injuries during various incidents between 2007 and 2011,” the report added. “The CMC operates under the interior ministry,” was the reply submitted in response to a question put forward by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Khalida Mansoor who asked what steps the government had taken to curb violence in Balochistan and Karachi.

Over 200 citizens were killed and 428 sustained injuries in 236 incidents in 2007. The miscreants or terrorists were mainly targeting local settlers, with about 350 incidents being reported during this time.

As many as 273 incidents occurred at police stations alone, while Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel found themselves confronted with at least 258 incidents in the province. Local police reported 86 incidents of sectarian violence, while law enforcement agencies reported 612 other incidents during this period.

With at least 270 people killed and 388 injured in 161 incidents of violence in the last nine months alone, claims by the interior ministry that there has been a visible decline in target killings in the province, appear to carry little weight.

In 2010, over 317 people were killed and 702 were injured in 425 incidents of violence in Balochistan. In 2009, over 333 citizens were killed and 1,007 were injured in 467 different incidents in the province.

When the provincial government sent out a request for deployment of additional troops to curb violence in Balochistan, the federal government deployed 11 units in Quetta, three in Mastung and six in Jaffarabad, Qilla Abdullah and Kalat. They deployed an additional 730 FC personnel to curb violence in Kachchi, Sibi and adjacent areas.

In order to meet the cost of these additional troops, the provincial government incurred a burden of Rs561 million to improve law and order in volatile areas. An amount of Rs339 million was incurred to pay families of armed forces and paramilitary personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty.

The government also promulgated the Police Act 2011 in the province and made special arrangements to ensure safe passage of pilgrims to Iran. It inducted an additional 2,000 Levies personnel and created 3,000 positions in the federal Levies to secure key installation on bordering areas.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik and his Afghan counterpart agreed to reactivate the designated immigration point, along with bordering areas, to monitor cross-border traffic.

The interior ministry is also compiling data of foreigners working in different areas and is carrying out special surveillance of members of banned outfits, the report said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2011.