Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar speaks at a news conference in Karachi on Saturday. PHOTO/EXPRESS NEWS SCREEN GRAB
“Our state institutions should not communicate with each through tweets. It is lethal for democracy. A day ago, I’ve already issued a statement that the prime minister has not only accepted the inquiry report, but directed me to issue a notification,” he said at a press conference at the Governor’s House on Saturday.
“We will soon issue a notification complying with all of the committee’s recommendations in letter and spirit. An unnecessary hype is being created by highlighting a non-issue. This is my department’s job. The PM Office has nothing to do with it,” he added. He said that no one was above the law and the government was not trying to protect any official in this regard.
Nisar said he would review the situation as soon as he returned to Islamabad. “Only then can I comment on it.”
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Talking about the prime minister’s meeting with Indian business tycoon Sajjan Jindal, Nisar said that Sharif’s credibility was beyond reproach and it simply could not be questioned with just a meeting. “Nawaz Sharif is patriotic Pakistani,” he added.
Nisar said his point of view on Indian aggression remained unchanged. Pointing out that he had even refused to meet an Indian personality who visited Pakistan in 1998, he said: “I have always taken a stand against India’s interference in our national affairs.”
Law and order
The interior minister, who spent two days in Karachi, chaired a meeting at the Rangers’ headquarters to review the law and order situation in the metropolis. He also held meetings with leaders of various political parties at the Governors House.
According to him, the current operation in Karachi would continue unabated.
“The Rangers have now slowed down their operations … There are some bottlenecks, which will soon be removed,” he said, adding that he would request Premier Sharif to visit Karachi again and chair a joint meeting with civilian leaders and military commanders and review the operation to devise new strategies.
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“Three years ago someone was holding the city hostage. Karachi used to shut down within a few minutes and no one was safe. Markets and roads would present a deserted look and extortion, kidnappings for ransom and targeted killings were rife. Now, the situation is totally changed … The law and order situation has now been contained with the help of federal and provincial government, police and law enforcement agencies,” he said.
According to him, the issues of street crimes, ‘China cutting’, corruption and land grabbing should now be resolved. “It is the federal government’s agenda to restore peace in Karachi and elsewhere in the country at all costs,” he added.
The federal government, he said, was working to increase the Rangers’ capacity by providing more funds and modern equipment.
“We spent Rs7 billion on Rangers in 2013 … This budget has now been increased to Rs13 billion,” he said, adding that the government also earmarked Rs88 billion for the capacity-building of civilian and military personnel.
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Talking about insurgents, separatists and MQM founder Altaf Hussain, he said: “There is no room for elements who are being funded by foreign countries, especially those being manipulated by India.”
Referring to Altaf’s anti-Pakistan remarks, he said: “No one can allow Altaf to re-enter Pakistan’s political arena. His anti-Pakistan remarks are unacceptable. He must apologise before we even consider his case.”
Zardari’s friends
Responding to a question about PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari’s missing friends, he said: “Zardari’s friends have gone missing from Sindh and their recovery is the responsibility of the provincial government.”
Nisar said the PML-N government did not believe in political victimisation and PPP leaders’ allegations were unfounded.
“Zardari has himself stated that he knew who has kidnapped his friends. I ask him to share with me whatever information he has about the kidnappers … I can help in recovering his friends. I believe that all arrested persons, no matter the case, must be produced before courts,” he said.
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PPP’s alternate
Criticising PPP’s nine-year-long consecutive tenures, Nisar said the PPP leaders looted and plundered public wealth and gave the public nothing.
“Yesterday, I held a meeting with PML-N and PML-F leaders and discussed an option to forge an alliance of likeminded people, effectively creating an alternate to the PPP,” he said, adding that this was the right time to get rid of the PPP which had only added to the people’s miseries.
“I will soon and hold meetings with the likeminded people,” he said.
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