According to information
put before the Senate on Wednesday, 1,492 people were
kidnapped for ransom during 1998 to 2004, out which 23
were killed while law enforcement agencies managed to
rescue 1,311.
This information was placed
before the House by Aftab Khan Sherpao, interior minister,
in a written response to Professor Ghafoor Ahmed’s
question seeking details of kidnappings. Question hour
was suspended
due to the heavy agenda for the day and all the answers
were taken as read.
In the province-wise break-up,
Sindh topped the list with 763 cases in which three hostages
were killed and 743 were released. Law enforcement agencies
arrested 502 kidnappers and registered 162 cases against
them.
Punjab was second on the
list with 482 cases of kidnapping for ransom in which
19 people were killed while security agencies rescued
392 hostages. Some 1,158 people were arrested in Punjab
and 432 cases were
registered against them.
In the NWFP, 209 people
were abducted for ransom during these seven years while
law enforcement agencies rescued 250 hostages. Only one
kidnapped individual was killed in the NWFP while 453
kidnappers were
arrested and 145 cases were registered against them.
In Balochistan, only 38
kidnapping incidents occurred in which 26 hostages were
released. Eighty-four
people were arrested in this connection and only 10 cases
were registered.
In answer to another question,
the information placed before the house by Rao Sikandar
Iqbal, defence minister, showed that Pakistan International
Airlines Corporation (PIAC) was charging more fares than
private airlines like Aero Asia, Shaheen Air and Air Blue
on domestic routes.
He added that almost all
the airlines operating in Pakistan, including the government-owned
PIAC, and other private airlines owed Rs 3,842 million
to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The details showed
that PIAC
owed Rs 2,917 million, Aero Asia Rs 357million, Shaheen
Air International Rs 425million, Bhoja Air Rs 81 million,
Hajvairi Airlines Rs 40 million, Raji Air Rs 12 million
and Safe Air Rs 10 million. He said that these amounts
had accumulated since 1990 and that the CAA was making
efforts to recover the amounts.
The interior minister also
informed the senate that each fancy light installed on
both sides of the road in front of the parade ground cost
Rs 85,000 to the national exchequer.
To another question, the
interior minister said the Capital Development Authority
allotted 1,165 acres of land to the army for establishing
the general headquarters at the rate of Rs 40 per square
yards as per the
then reserved price for government institutions.
