End the violence: ‘A peaceful Karachi is a priority’
The new Sindh home minister, Manzoor Hussain Wasan, said that he needs one month to restore peace in Karachi. He asserted that the people responsible for destroying the peace of the city will be severely dealt with without any discrimination.
Wasan while addressing journalists at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday, said that he could not promise that the situation of the city will be under control in a day or a week because such an expectation is not realistic. “I have handled many important ministries and I know how to control them,” he confidently asserted. “I don’t have Alladin’s lamp which I could use to eradicate violence, but I do have the wand of love and I can bring peace with that.”
Wasan said that the people responsible for the violence were the political parties, land grabbers, extortionists and the Taliban. “Karachi is an important city for all the communities present in it. It is not just a mini-Pakistan, in fact it is the complete Pakistan. There is no concept of urban and rural areas in Sindh,” said Wasan.
Wasan said that the critical areas of Orangi Town and Pirabad were now peaceful while other areas where peace had been restored are again showing signs of violence, which implies that there are elements in the city inherently opposed to peace. “I have visited Lyari where a gang war was ongoing, and I assured the Katchi Rabita Committee activists that peace will be restored to Lyari,” said Wasan.
He said that the people of Karachi had demanded that the Frontier Corps (FC) be brought in to curb the violence of the city, and the FC will be sent back when the people want it to exit.
“Before I joined the home ministry, 77 people were killed within a few days in Karachi,” he explained. “The victims comprised Pakhtun, Sindhi, Baloch, Punjabi, Katchi and Urdu speaking people. If the media focuses on a single community, people will think that only that community is affected.”
Wasan asked everyone to cooperate with him to achieve this peace.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2011.
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this is a second week in a row that i havnt been able to attend office for the entire week.. to those who claim to want to do better for pakistan once in power.. PATHETIC!!!!
The wand of love
Now, after Qasba Colony is Khaddar Market, from where people are migrating to safer places, it means the government has target some areas of Karachi to be vacated from the residents there, I am sure. People open your eyes. I hope, Mr. Wassan will succeed to restore peace in Karachi.
With due respect, just one question - who allowed this crime scene to go on for 5 days. Law enforcement should have been there in minutes to prevent blood shed and not 5 days! This crime on humanity has to be answered and justice served.
Mr. Wassan is among the good guys of PPP like Mr. Qaim Ali Shah. It also means he can talk the talk but can not deliver, as they can not go against crooks like Zulfiqar Mirza and Pir Mazhar. How can he deliver what Rahman Malik could not? Bottom line is, it is Zulfiqar Mirza and Pir Mazhar who are practically the Home Minister and Chief Minister.
I wish you could SIr?
Just one question, why it took 5 days for the rangers to enter and take over Qasba and Katti Pahari area?