News
Wednesday, September 04, 2013
Time running out on Karachi, Nawaz told* Political parties suggest PM to launch indiscriminate operation against criminals with help of police, Rangers
* MQM wants army in areas not accessible by law enforcers
By Razzak Abro
KARACHI: Most of the political parties have advised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to launch an indiscriminate operation against criminals through police and Rangers, saying time is running out.
The MQM showed flexibility in its previous stance and demanded the use of army in some areas of the city where police and Rangers do not have access. Representatives of the political parties made this suggestion at a consultative meeting that Prime Minister Nawaz had convened at the Governor’s House on Tuesday. The prime minister is going to take a decision on Karachi law and order at a special meeting of the federal cabinet scheduled for today (Wednesday).
“We have suggested involvement of army in operation against criminals along with police and Rangers,” MQM leader Babar Ghauri said after the meeting. Elaborating the suggestion he said that the army should be involved in those areas where the police and Rangers are unable to take action. In this regard he referred those areas where Taliban and other banned organisations have influence.
Without mentioning Lyari he said that criminals are operating in old area of Karachi where traders are receiving chits for payment of extortion. He questioned PPP’s role in such areas, asking how could peace be established in the city when criminals are being patronised. PPP’s Abdul Qadir Patel, however, said that majority of the Lyari residents are innocent and common citizens. He said that criminals are active in all the areas of Karachi. The PPP, he said, has supported indiscriminate operation against criminals through police and Rangers.
According to him his party has also demanded federal government’s complete assistance to the Sindh government in this regard. Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Hussain Mahenti told journalists that his party has asked the prime minister to take concrete steps to save Karachi and its people. He said that people were shifting their businesses from Karachi due to continued law and order situation. He appreciated the prime minister for taking the JI on board on Karachi situation, complaining that his party was not consulted on the issue during last five years.
Most of the major political parties, including PPP, MQM, ANP, Sunni Tehreek, JUI, PML-N and PML-Functional, attended the consultative meeting. No representative of Imran Khan-led Tehreek-e-Insaf came to the meeting, as according to the party leaders it was not invited formally. Initially, the MQM had expressed reservations but it sent its representatives to the meeting. The party leadership was unhappy with the PML-N-led federal government’s decision of dropping out Dr Farooq Sattar’s name from the list of participants of Wednesday’s federal cabinet meeting.
Dr Sattar was earlier invited for the cabinet meeting but later the federal government withdrew the invitation. PML-N leader Salim Zia told journalists that his name was dropped because Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan will be among the participants. PPP will be represented in the cabinet session by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah.
Prime Minister Nawaz assured all needed assistance to the Sindh government in addressing the lacunae in laws that are thought to favour the criminals. He said a legal team would soon be sent to the province to help provincial authorities in mitigating the lacunae existing in the law. “We have to address the issue with all sincerity so as to bring to task the criminals and terrorists apprehended by law enforcers,” said the prime minister.Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk