Karachi operation: Govt agrees to form oversight committee

MQM’s federal, provincial lawmakers to withdraw resignations


Our Correspondent August 25, 2015
MQM’s federal, provincial lawmakers to withdraw resignations. PHOTO: NNI

ISLAMABAD:


In a meeting with a delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has agreed to form a committee to monitor the ongoing surgical operation in Karachi after conferring with all stakeholders. In return, the MQM said its lawmakers will withdraw their resignations.


All MQM lawmakers, both federal and provincial, had resigned en bloc on August 12 in protest at the Karachi operation which, they claimed, was MQM-specific. However, heads of all parliamentary parties had advised the government not to accept the resignations and hold dialogue with the MQM.

Subsequently, Premier Nawaz tasked Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of his eponymous faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, to approach the MQM and convince the party to withdraw the resignations and return to the assemblies. After a couple of rounds of talks, the MQM delegation travelled to Islamabad on Monday for a decisive meeting with the prime minister and his top aides.

A six-member MQM delegation had a meeting with Nawaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House, according to an official handout. The delegation voiced out MQM’s viewpoint vis-à-vis Karachi operation. The prime minister listened to the views of the MQM delegation and assured that their genuine concerns would be addressed. He, however, emphasised that across-the-board operation in Karachi was in the interest of all stakeholders, including the MQM.

Peace in Karachi will bring prosperity for its citizens and will have an impact on the whole country as people of all areas of Pakistan work and live there, he said. “The prime minister said the MQM may in the larger national interest remain in parliament and play its role in national affairs,” according to the official handout.



The delegation comprised Dr Farooq Sattar, Senator Muhammad Ali Saif, Kanwar Naveed Jameel, Muhammad Rehan Hashmi, Waseem Akhtar and Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani. From the government side, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, Housing and Works Minister Akram Khan Durrani and MNA Muhammad Ameer Zaman attended the meeting.

Appearing before the media with Finance Minister Dar and Maulana Fazl, Sattar confirmed the government has agreed to constitute a monitoring committee for the Karachi operation. He also confirmed that his party’s lawmakers would withdraw their resignations.

Sattar clarified that the MQM was not opposed to the Karachi operation but wanted it to be under the law and the Constitution. He added that the MQM delegation has apprised the prime minister of the arrest of ‘hundreds of workers’ of their party during the Karachi operation.

On his part, Maulana Fazl, who had been mediating between the MQM and the government, said that he convinced both sides to sit across the table and listen to each other. He added that the proposed monitoring committee would have representation from all stakeholders and that the prime minister himself would head it.

Finance Minister Dar said Premier Nawaz’s vision was to take along all political parties for the prosperity and progress of the country. In line with this vision, the issue of resignation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers was also resolved amicably.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25th, 2015.

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