CMs deny releasing criminals on parole
Two former Sindh CMs, who served during Musharraf's reign, claim they were not the ones who approved the release.
KARACHI:
The Supreme Court directives to arrest and bring to court all criminals the Sindh government released on parole has triggered a debate among the political heavyweights with nobody willing to take responsibility of when and who released the offenders.
On Saturday, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said not a single criminal had been released during the current government’s tenure. “It was not the Pakistan Peoples Party government when 35 criminals were released in 2003,” he said. “All this was possible in the General [Pervez] Musharraf-led government.” He even went on to claim that soon after the PPP came to power in 2008, the government had written to the authorities to round up the under-trial and convicted prisoners released on parole.
While hearing the implementation of the suo motu case on Karachi violence, the apex court was told that over the years, the Sindh government had released on parole 193 convicted and 35 under-trial prisoners, some even facing charges of murder and kidnapping for ransom.
Two former chief ministers of Sindh, who served during the reign of General Pervez Musharraf, also issued statements claiming they were not the ones who approved the release of the criminals. Ali Muhammad Mahar, who was the Sindh chief minister from December 2002 to June 2004, denied he had released any criminals on parole, while talking to the media. “This must have happened before or after my tenure,” he claimed. In a statement, former chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, who was in office from 2004 to 2007, accepted a few people were released in his tenure. But the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (Likeminded) added that a majority of the suspects were released when Ali Muhammad Mahar was chief minister and Mian Muhammad Soomro was the governor of Sindh.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2012.
The Supreme Court directives to arrest and bring to court all criminals the Sindh government released on parole has triggered a debate among the political heavyweights with nobody willing to take responsibility of when and who released the offenders.
On Saturday, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said not a single criminal had been released during the current government’s tenure. “It was not the Pakistan Peoples Party government when 35 criminals were released in 2003,” he said. “All this was possible in the General [Pervez] Musharraf-led government.” He even went on to claim that soon after the PPP came to power in 2008, the government had written to the authorities to round up the under-trial and convicted prisoners released on parole.
While hearing the implementation of the suo motu case on Karachi violence, the apex court was told that over the years, the Sindh government had released on parole 193 convicted and 35 under-trial prisoners, some even facing charges of murder and kidnapping for ransom.
Two former chief ministers of Sindh, who served during the reign of General Pervez Musharraf, also issued statements claiming they were not the ones who approved the release of the criminals. Ali Muhammad Mahar, who was the Sindh chief minister from December 2002 to June 2004, denied he had released any criminals on parole, while talking to the media. “This must have happened before or after my tenure,” he claimed. In a statement, former chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, who was in office from 2004 to 2007, accepted a few people were released in his tenure. But the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (Likeminded) added that a majority of the suspects were released when Ali Muhammad Mahar was chief minister and Mian Muhammad Soomro was the governor of Sindh.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2012.