Karachi violence: Coalition partners to revive code of conduct

Full powers given to police and law-enforcement agencies to take strict action against suspects in troubled areas.

KARACHI:

As the violence continued to burn Karachi, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Awami National Party (ANP) agreed on Wednesday to implement the 10-point code of conduct signed in the presence of prime minister in August last year.

The meeting of the coalition partners in the Sindh government, which was held under supervision of Governor Sindh Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan and Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah at the Governor House, gave full powers to police and law-enforcement agencies to take strict action against suspects in troubled areas.

There were reports that Rangers had been given ‘shoot-at-sight’ orders, but sources privy to the meeting denied such reports, calling them baseless.

They said: “It has been decided to give full powers to police and (other) law enforcement agencies to deal with suspects irrespective of their political affiliations.”

The meeting also decided to revive the coordination committee, comprising members of the three parties, besides agreeing to form such committees at the town level to visit the violence-hit areas to appeal the people to remain calm.

“Wall-chalking and hoisting of party flags and banners will be banned in disturbed areas to defuse the tension,” the sources said.

Sources said that members of the coordination committee will again meet at the Chief Minister House to devise a strategy on implementing the code of conduct.

The meeting was attended, among others, by Shahi Syed and Bashir Jan of ANP and Wasim Aftab, Raza Haroon of MQM, Agha Siraj Durrani, Waqar Mehdi and Najmi Alam of the PPP.

“There is no deadlock. We have started implementing the agreement from today (Wednesday) visiting the Kati Pahari area, one of the troubled areas,” said Bashir Jan, General Secretary of ANP, Sindh.

Talking to Express Tribune, Wasim Aftab, who is member of MQM’s coordination committee, said: “We…want to resolve the matter through concerted efforts for peace in the city.”







Published in The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2011.