SC displeased by KP police’s inability to curb sectarian violence in DI Khan

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed displeasure over measures taken by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Police to control sectarian killings in Dera Ismail Khan and sought a report from the province’s chief secretary, Express News reported.

Resuming the hearing of a suo motu case, the bench was informed that the provincial police had conducted raids to arrest suspects and banned the use of loudspeakers to control the murders.

Unsatisfied by the steps, Justice Nisar dismissed the report prepared by IG K-P and directed the provincial chief secretary to submit a report detailing measures taken by the provincial government.

Previously, a report submitted by the KP police revealed that certain politicians were using sectarian violence in the district to promote vested interests. It had also stated that most members of sectarian outfits had become political workers.

The report said that both Shia and Sunni communities lived peacefully side by side in DI Khan till 1985 when the first sectarian riot took place during a Muharram procession.

The trend, however, changed in the 2000s, a surge in sectarian violence was witnessed in 2007-08 “probably due to an alliance with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)”.

The report had added that the ratio of kidnapping for ransom and targeted killing of police officials and Shia community increased in the same year.

The report elaborated that at least 164 Shias, 92 Sunnis and 60 police officials were killed in target killings since 1985. A total of 112 Sunnis, 245 Shias and 182 police personnel have been killed in sectarian violence and terrorism.

12 terrorism cases were reported in the last six years wherein, six accused were nominated and one was arrested.

The K-P police had arrested 71 terrorists in different cases since 2017 while a list of more than 350 individuals on the Fourth Schedule of ATA had been circulated amongst SHOs with the necessary directions to open personal files and carry out ground checks.

The report added that 38 terrorists were killed and 122 terrorists had been arrested in last four years.

Source: Express Tribune