NAP implementation: Half of all registered madrassas in Sindh geo-tagged

As many as 879 men belonging to banned terror outfits have been arrested while 1,155 had been killed

KARACHI: As many as 3,662 madrassas in Sindh (2,122 in Karachi, 1,548 Hyderabad) have so far been geo-tagged as part of the National Action Plan (NAP), the Sindh home secretary said on Wednesday.

"This would help us to see exact location of these seminaries,” he said.

In a meeting held at the CM House to review the implementation of NAP in the province, Sindh Home Secretary Mukhtar Soomro said that of the 9,590 madrassas in the province, 6,503 were registered.

IG Sindh Ghulam Hyder Jamali disclosed that they had sealed as many as 167 madrassas in the province owing to different reasons.

Further, he added that while searching 21 suspected seminaries in Karachi, Hyderabad and Badin, they had recovered hate material from some of them.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah sought support from ulemas of different schools of thought in implementing NAP.

"All the ulemas concerned must be taken on board during the process,” he directed.

Read: Sindh govt warned over 'going slow' on NAP implementation

Talking about the identification and repatriation of Afghan refugees, the home secretary said that as many as 92,646 Afghan nationals had so far been registered in Sindh.

"As many as 650 families and 3,021 individuals have voluntarily repatriated since 2015," Soomro said, adding that 35,278 Afghans had been repatriated from Sindh till August 2015.

He added that about 720 cases had been registered against illegal Afghan nationals. Further 2,100 of them had been arrested, 1,309 had been nominated in various cases while 953 were under judicial custody, the chief secretary said, adding 222 illegal Afghans were also repatriated by IG Jails.

Statistics related to the continuing Karachi operation were also shared in the meeting.

Executions

Soomro disclosed that out of 458 prisoners on death row, 18 had been executed in the province so far.

"About 395 appeals are pending in Sindh High Court, one in Federal Shariat Court, 53 in Supreme Court, five mercy petitions are with the President of Pakistan. Meanwhile, four black warrants have been stayed by the Sindh High Court.

Armed militias

Giving details of armed militias, which had been pointed out by the Rangers in a June apex committee meeting, the home secretary said that as many as 61 banned religious organisations had so far been identified.

"1,155 terrorists were killed, including 164 leaders of al Qaeda and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, 130 Lyari gang war elements between September 2013 to September 2015," he dilated while briefing on operation's progress.

Over 63,000 terrorists and criminals were arrested, including 879 men who belonged to al Qaeda and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and 67 were part of the Lyari gang war, said Soomro.

Talking about the suspects handed over to Rangers during the Karachi operation up to August 31, 2015, Jamali said 495 had been arrested, 489 had been charged, whereas six were under investigation. Two of the accused had been convicted by a competent court while four had been acquitted. Currently, he said that 462 convicts were in jail whereas 21 had managed to secure bail.

16,650 illicit arms and explosives had also been recovered, he added.

Arms provided by army

IG Sindh provided details of the weapons and equipment provided by the army.

He said that arms worth Rs65 million had been provided to Sindh police by Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif.