Senate session: ANP calls for military operation in Karachi

MQM Senator Nasreen Jalil backs the appeal

ISLAMABAD:

Leaders of the Awami National Party (ANP) on Monday appealed in the Senate for a full-fledged military operation in Karachi in the wake of the killing of its activists. The demand was immediately endorsed in the Senate by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).

ANP Senator Shahi Syed brought up the issue as he called upon Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to launch a military operation in Karachi while referring to operations in Swat and North Wazirstan Agency. Citing the high prevalence of crime, targeted killings and extortionists in the city, he said the time is ripe for such an operation.



MQM leader Nasreen Jalil endorsed the demand saying, “An army operation is a must to end extrajudicial killings in the city.”

She pointed out that more than 400 MQM workers were killed during the last two months.

“We have written a letter to the prime minister for a military operation in Karachi,” she said, adding that otherwise the unchecked growth of the Taliban in the city would become difficult to tackle.

Earlier, the opposition staged a walkout when the ANP raised the issue of the killing of its workers.

PPP leader Mian Raza Rabbani announced plans to withdraw his calling attention notice on imposition of 5% GST on petroleum products and refused to hear arguments of attorney general, saying “the constitution was no longer pure”.

When Senate chairman Nayyer Hussain Bokhari pointed out that AG Suleman Butt was present in the house to give legal opinion, he said, “When I raised this issue, this Constitution was in pure form.”

Rabbani said that parliament had not validated the steps of a military ruler [General Pervez Musharraf], arguing that “alas today, the Constitution is dying”.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Health Saira Afzal Tarar invited criticism of the opposition with a statement about 18th Amendment and devolution but the opposition protested till her words were expunged from the proceedings.

She was responding to a motion on the condition of health department after the devolution and clarified that the “federal government was not encroaching the domain of provincial governments and was mere playing the role of regulator.”

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said, “The departments of health and education had gone worse after the devolution.”

He suggested that federation should have control over the Drug Regulatory Authority and curriculum as well.

However, the idea of entrusting the federation for responsibly designing the curriculum was immediately opposed by the ANP and other members.

While responding to a motion of PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar, State minister for Education Muhammad Baleeghur Rehman clarified that it was for the first time that the head of the Higher Education Commission was appointed after due process.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2014.