News
Saturday, October 23, 2010
‘Secret operation’ launched in Karachi, says Malik* Interior minister says strict action will be taken against those challenging writ of state
* 3,000 appointments will be made in ladies wing of Karachi police
Staff Report
KARACHI: Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Friday that a secret operation has been launched in order to counter the target killings in Karachi.
Addressing a joint press conference along with Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza, Malik said, “We shall restore peace in Karachi and other parts of the country, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other northern areas. He said strict action will be taken against those challenging the writ of the state, and the government would not talk with them, adding that the government had broken the back of terrorists by launching a successful operation against them in the northwest.
Malik said, the government had chalked out its strategy during the meeting with all political parties in Karachi, adding that terrorists had no ideology or affiliation with any political party, but used and took shelter of different political parties to disturb the law and order situation in the country.
Malik said that during the last two days, the target killings had stopped due to the government’s action against the criminals.
He said Karachi had been besieged by different mafias, with new mafias emerging everyday, including the land mafia, bhatta mafia and the drug mafia.
Malik said, Benazir Bhutto along with President Asif Ali Zardari had visited the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) central office and promised them that the friendship between MQM and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would continue for decades and the PPP government would continue the strategy of the reconciliation policy set by Benazir.
To a question, the interior minister said the government listened to the complaints of the MQM, adding that the atmosphere of reconciliation had been much stronger now.
Malik further said that 3,000 appointments in the ladies wing of the police force would soon be made in Karachi’s police department.
Speaking on the occasion, Home Minister Zulifqar Mirza said police had arrested a key suspect along with four other snipers involved in the Karachi target killings and recovered weapons from their possession. Mirza called upon the critics to refrain from indulging in aggressive debates, which had been causing problems for the government.
He urged all parties to cooperate with the government in ending the menace of target killings. During the press conference, Mirza announced the establishment of a media cell at the central police office. Sindh Inspector General of Police Sultan Salahuddin Babar Khattak, Karachi Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Fayyaz Laghari and other senior police officials were also present at the occasion.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk