The government has fixed Rs 2.03 million as head money for the arrest of these 29 proclaimed offenders, who were found to be extensively engaged in terrorist activities from across the Afghan border. While the Taliban regime kept on denying the existing of these sectarian terrorists in Kabul despite repeated appeal and visit of Pakistani officials to Kabul, the law enforcing agencies have registered 248 cases against the killing of 479 innocent persons in Punjab.

As per the findings and source reports of various Pakistani agencies, Qari Asadullah is believed to be supervising and ensuring the training facilities of the Pakistani origin terrorists in Kabul allegedly in collaboration and support of Taliban regime. However these Pakistani sectarian terrorists, who are accused of involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan, are bound to participate first in Jihad for Taliban after completing their training and than they were allowed to cross the borders to participate in their self created targets in Pakistan.

Earlier they were trained in Kabul till the time of attaining some sort of expertise of various modes of war but since last year they were being trained in Kabul only to handle various kinds of weapons while the rest of the actual war trainings are being taken on various war fronts against anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan. The Pakistani officials engaged in these exercises believed that Afghanistan has not became the safe heaven for these sectarian terrorists during Taliban regime but had always been remain popular for such activities since the departure of former USSR forces from Kabul in 1988. However, one can say it safely that during Taliban regime, the trend had gained momentum while the response were more cordial.

The break up of the foreign sponsored terrorism revealed that in 1991, 30 were killed while 25 cases had been registered. During 1992, 11 were murdered and 10 cases were registered. During the year 1993, 18 were killed while 12 cases were registered. In 1994, 39 were killed while 20 cases were registered. In the year 1995, 37 were killed while 22 cases were registered. In 1996, 361 persons were killed while 32 cases were registered. In 1997, 122 were killed and 66 cases were registered. In the year 1998, 83 were killed while 38 cases were registered. In 1999, 47 persons were killed while 16 cases were registered. In the year 2000, 31 persons were murdered and 7 cases were registered.

Of these 29 proclaimed offenders (POs) against whom the government has fixed head money, Rs 5 million has been fixed for one PO, Rs 2 million for one PO, Rs 1 million each for three POs, Rs 500,000 each for 19 POs, Rs 200,000 each for four POs while Rs 100,000 for one PO. Top listed was obviously Riaz Basra with head money of Rs 5 million while trailing behind is Akram Lahori with head money of Rs 2 million. Similarly Rs 1 million each was fixed as head money for Mohammad Tanveer Khan alias Tanni Khan (Khanewal); Zahid Hussain alias Jamshed (Multan), Rs 1 million for Shakeel Ahmed alias Mustafa alias Shakeel Anwar (Bahawalnagar).

The 19 POs who were carrying head money of Rs 500,000 each include Malik Mohammad Safdar (Lahore), Hafiz Mohammad Yasin Alias Nadeem (Lahore), Inayat Ullah Shah Alias Jamil Shah (Gujranwala), Abdul Haq (Gujranwala), Kashif Alias Kashi (Gujranwala), Irshad Ullah Butt (Jhelum), Hafiz Mohammad Saghir (Gujrat); Rashid alias Shahid Satti (Rawalpindi); Abdul Rehman (Nephew of Maulana Azam Tariq; Shahzad (Sargodha); Ghulam Shabbir alias Shabira Fauji (Khanewal); Shahabud Din (Multan); Shah Nawaz (Muzaffargarh); Qari Abdul Hayee alias Talah alias Qari Assad ullha codename Chotey Qari Sahib (Muzaffargarh); Ehsan Ullah Shah (Rahim Yar Khan); Dilawar Hussain alias Usman alias Bashir Pehlwan (Bahawalnagar); Nasrullah alias Fazalur Rehman (Bahawalnagar); Abdul Mannan (Bahawalnagar).

Similarly there are four POs carrying head money of Rs 200,000 each. They are Mohammad Asif alias Usman (Faisalabad); Ali Sher (Muzaffargarh); Mohammad Zikria (Bahawalpur); Ghulam Shabbir (Bahawalpur) while Rs 100,000 has been fixed for Shamma (Sargodha). Out of total 65 proclaimed offenders allegedly involved in murder cases 8 belong to Bahawalnagar, 6 each belong to Faisalabad and Muzaffargarh, 4 each belong to Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, Bahawalpur, 3 each belong to Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh and Sargodha, 2 each belong to Sheikhupura, Jhang, Sahiwal, Khanewal, Layyah and Rahim Yar Khan while one each belong to Kasur and Vehari.

MULTAN, Oct 22: Police in this part of the country are unable to either track down the culprits or to resolve the mysteries of somewhat nine high-profile murder incidents that claimed the lives of 24 people during the last six months.

Due to its socio-economic backwardness, south Punjab has been the target of terrorism in the name of sectarian strife as its patrons find 'hitmen' for the purpose from seminaries spread in length and breadth of former Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions.

The police sleuths see sectarianism in five of the nine 'unresolved mysteries' of murders, including the killings of former state minister for foreign affairs Sadddiq Khan Kanju and his aide former MPA Muhammad Aslam Khan Joiya. But ironically culprits involved in these nine gruesome acts of crime are still at large although police high-ups claim that the outlaws will soon be brought to book.

On the other hand, social and political circles of the area term the situation a complete failure of the department. They say police officers feel no 'disgrace' in holding press conferences after nabbing small-time criminals while their investigation and intelligence cells have failed to apprehend the culprits involved in incidents.

Vehari police has proved even more inefficient in this regard as four of the nine cases of unresolved mysteries are to be unfolded in this district.

Mumtazabad case: Some five assailants riding on two motorcycles opened fire in Mumtazabad locality of Multan city near Imamia Masjid on June 14 last and fled away leaving Sabir and Imtiaz dead and five others injured. The complainants also blamed a judge of the special court in the incident.

Girls' murder: Some assailants butchered three daughters of Malik Niaz Ahmed in Mailsi town of Vehari district and a daughter of his brother Malik Khursheed on April 12 last when the elders were outside busy in their business.

Akram Manais: Motorcyclists gunned down Akram Manais, uncle of former Punjab assembly speaker Saeed Ahmed Manais, on July 19 last in Mailsi. The deceased was a respected figure of the area and was assumed instrumental in the political success of Saeed Manais.

Kirmani case: Former TJP Vehari district president Ziaul Hassan Kirmani and his two companions were shot dead by three motorcyclists in busy Quaid-i-Azam Bazaar of Mailsi when they had just come out of the office of tehsil army monitoring cell on July 24 last.

Kanju case: Former state minister Saddiq Khan Kaju, who was a candidate for the Lodhran district nazim slot, and Kehror Pucca tehsil Nazim candidate Aslam Joiya were gunned down in busy Karim Bazaar of Kehror town by some four assailants riding on a car on July 28 last.

Irum case: A young woman, Irum, her sister Farah and an acquaintance Waseem were on their way to a local hospital when they were aimed at. Irum succumbed to her injuries in the Multan Nishtar hospital on Aug 6 last while Farah slipped away from the hospital after remaining under treatment for several days. Police arrested Waseem, claiming the incident a shootout between the outlaws and the law enforcers.

First the police claimed that Irum was riding on a car with alleged dacoit Awais and was killed when police opened fire as Awais did not stop the car despite being ordered by a raiding team of Muzaffarabad police. Later, the law enforcement agency changed the stance and claimed Irum was shot dead by the criminal she was riding with in a car. There are a lot of questions to be answered in this incident occurred near Eidgah, Multan.

Killing in Yazman: Eight members of a family - Rshid Ali, Shakila, Kishwar, Zarina, Zara, Imran, Ishrat and Jabbar - were found dead on Aug 15 in their house situated in Chak 113/DB of Yazman, Bahawalpur. Area police claimed that Kishwar's brother Khalid had murdered all the eight victims as he was not happy over her marriage with Jabbar. Khalid has been at large along with his wife and an infant baby girl since the incident.

DSP's murder: Deputy superintendent of police Kausar Abbas was jogging at Bahawalpur stadium in the evening of Aug 27 when some motorcyclists shot dead him.

Kitchi murder case: An elder of influential Kitchi family of Vehari, Ahmed Yar Kitchi was shot dead reportedly by four assailants riding on a car near Mailsi on the Khanewal Road on Oct 19 last. The culprits also gunned down a TJP leader Allama Nazir Abbas on the same road at his shop 15 minutes later.

Police claim that terrorists of a sectarian outfit are involved in the incidents of Mumtazabad, Kirmani case, Kanju case, DSP Kausar Abbas and the double murder cases of Ahmed Yar Kitchi and Nazir Abbas. The sleuths also see these people's involvement in the murder of Akram Manais.

A senior police officer, on the condition of anonymity, said it seemed that the 'hitmen' of a terrorist group had started committing murders for cash rewards from personal rivals of area influentials and the murders of Kanju, Manais and Kitchi should be investigated in this way.

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