ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported 2,708 murders in 2007 till November with the NFWP topping the table.
Last year, 2,736 people lost their lives in various acts of violence, says an interior ministry’s document on general law and order/heinous crimes, obtained by Daily Times.
The document shows that the NWFP was worst hit by violence with the number of slain people coming to 1,600. In the province, extremism compounded the security crisis. It saw frequent suicide attacks on security personnel.
The spate of violence which spilled over from tribal areas bordering Afghanistan into the country’s settled areas continued to be the major concern of the regime, resulting in military operations in Tank, Swat, Dir, Shangla and Malakand districts. In NWFP, alone 1,600 people have been murdered since November this year compared with the last year’s 1,549 victims of such violence.
According to the province breakdown, 350 people were murdered in Punjab showing a little decline compared to the previous year’s figures of 498.
Punjab, the most populated province of Pakistan, also witnessed six suicide attacks in the year. They included suicide bombing of Kharian Cantonment (March 29), unsuccessful attack on police training camp in Sargodha (August 2), two in Rawalpindi on September 4 (one in RA Bazaar and other in Qasim Market), suicide blast near Rawalpindi district courts (October 30) and bombing of PAF Bus in Sargodha (November 1).
The documents said that the country’s overall security situation remained satisfactory in 2007 till November except unfortunate incidents of May 12 and suicide attack on the caravan of Benazir Bhutto (Oct 19) in Karachi.
However, it showed fast growing street crime in Karachi as the main worry. In all, 450 people were murdered in Sindh, 44 more than that of the last year.
In Balochistan, 210 people were reported murdered till November compared with 193 in the previous year. The major incidents in Balochistan in 2007 included the targeted killing of provincial government’s spokesman Raziq Bugti (July 27), SSP Investigation, Quetta (September 26) and attack on Chinese nationals in Hub and suicide attack on district courts Quetta (Feb 17).
The document said that terror attacks dropped by 15 per cent early this year but an upward trend was recorded in such acts after June.
It said that there’s a significant increase in number of murder cases in Islamabad Capital Territory 58 people were murdered till November this year. The capital territory also witnessed Lal Masjid-Jamia Hafsa crisis where over 100 students and militants and more than 10 security personnel were killed, besides two suicide attacks PPP camp at district courts (July 17) and at Aabpara Market (July 26).
The document described Northern Areas as the peaceful part of Pakistan compared with other parts of the country, saying only 40 people were murdered there against 50 last year.
Source: Daily Times
Date:12/21/2007
