Over 3,000 LEA men killed in five years

A total of 5,532 civilians were killed and 10,195 sustained injuries

ISLAMABAD:

For the first time, the government has shared consolidated figures of the total loss of lives caused due to terrorism during the last five years. The statistics also include details regarding the total number of terrorists killed, sentenced to death or awaiting their death sentence. The interior ministry provided the statistics in the National Assembly during the question hour on Friday.

According to the reply, a total of 3,157 personnel of law enforcement agencies (LEA) were killed and 5,988 injured during this period. At the same time, a total of 5,532 civilians were killed and 10,195 were injuries.



The highest number of the LEA personnel were killed and injured in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), where 1,487 personnel laid down their lives and 2,224 sustained injuries. Some 1,470 civilians were killed and 2,761 were injured in Fata in the same period.



The total number of terrorists killed during this period is 3,759, with 2,530 in Fata, 90 in Punjab, 342 in Sindh, 351 in K-P, 435 in Balochistan, seven in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), three in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and one in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The total number of terrorists sentenced to death during this period is 173 – with 64 in Punjab, 106 in Sindh and one each in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Balochistan and the ICT. The total number of terrorists awaiting execution is 206, with 81 in Punjab, 98 in Sindh, 25 in the K-P and one each in Balochistan and the ICT.



Implementation on National Action Plan

On another question about the implementation on the National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism, the ministry revealed that a total of 1,985 arrests were made in connection with 1,933 cases of hate speech and hate literature.

It said 2,390 items of hate speech and literature were confiscated and 71 shops were sealed. In this regard, legislation was enacted by Punjab. “A total of 7,411 cases of misuse of loudspeakers were reported and 6,979 arrests made. A total of 2,039 pieces of equipment were confiscated,” the reply said.

The interior ministry said a committee on madrassa reforms has been constituted with representations from Ittehad-e-Tanzeemat-e-Madaris Pakistan (ITMP), the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta), the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Education.



“The committee will submit its recommendations on implementation of the NAP with regard to regulations of madrassas,” the reply said.

A standard form for registration of madaris has been developed and shared with provinces and the ITMP. Moreover, mapping has been completed in the ICT and Punjab while the mapping for Sindh, the K-P, Balochistan and the AJK is underway, it said.

The interior ministry told the house that a total of 182 suspected madrassas had been closed. Of these two were located in Punjab, 167 in Sindh and 13 in the K-P while a total of 72 unregistered madrassas were also closed in Sindh. “There are a total of 190 foreign-funded madrassas with 147 in Punjab, six in Sindh, seven in the K-P and 30 in Balochistan,” it said.

To revamp the legislation, Punjab, the K-P and the AJK have enacted laws covering misuse of loudspeakers, hate speech, illegal weapons and Maintenance of Public Order. Balochistan and Sindh have adopted Punjab’s laws

The NA session on Friday was subsequently prorogued due to lack of quorum. On a summary initiated by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, the president has approved the prime minister’s advice for summoning the next session of the lower house on Monday at 4pm.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th,  2015.