Number of killings in Sindh has gone up this year: HRCP

The Express Tribune

Though Karachi is notorious for its volatile law and order situation, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s (HRCP) statistics indicate that the rest of the province isn’t much better either – around 1,162 people have been killed in the first 10 months of the year. HRCP’s Sindh Task Force issued a report on the eve of United Nations Human Rights Day. It paints a very bleak picture of the situation in the areas outside of Karachi as well. The reports states that 772 men, 310 women and 78 children were killed. Among them, 99 men, 146 women and 10 children were killed in the name of honour. Some people also lost their lives in tribal conflicts. “The number of overall killings has gone up from the previous year, when the figure remained within three digits,” HRCP’s coordinator for Sindh Task Force, Ashothama Lohano, told The Express Tribune. In addition to the murders, 305 people committed suicide while another 180 were unsuccessful in taking their own lives. Men are more suicidal than women or children, with 181 killing themselves and 90 attempting to do so. “More deaths occurred in the areas hit by floods this year or those recovering from the natural calamity from last year,” said Lohano. The report indicates a drop in the incidents of karo kari (honour killing). In 2011, more than 600 incidents were reported from the province, but the figure for this year has dipped to 255. “Interestingly, the killing of women has dropped more dramatically than of men,” Lohano said, adding that 99 men and 146 women were among the victims of this crime. There was also a considerable decrease in rape cases this year with 131 cases reported so far – almost half the number as compared to 2011. About 65 children and 63 women were victims of such incidents.