Nawaz rebukes govt for Karachi violence

The PML-N chief said the PPP had been dragging its feet on the issue.

PESHAWAR: Selfish elements, for their own petty interests, have put a strain on peace in Karachi, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif said on Friday.

He blamed political parties for Karachi’s deteriorating law and order situation.

Addressing a gathering of PML-N workers in Peshawar, Sharif said many parties, with a few exceptions, were responsible for the ongoing violence in the city. He demanded that stern action be taken against those responsible for unrest in the city.

Ideally, the government should have taken action to put an end to the worsening situation before the Supreme Court (SC) took suo motu notice, he said.

Weak as it is, the present regime refrained from bringing those responsible to book, which is why the PML-N was at odds with the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government, he added.

“If my party is elected into power in the next elections, putting an end to the ongoing energy crisis will be my top priority … that and unemployment and growing poverty,” Sharif said.

The prevailing commission culture is posing a hurdle in the solution of many issues, he said. “Just for commission, a 450-megawatt power plant has been rusting at the Karachi port for the last few months,” Sharif said, adding that another one with a 500-megawatt capacity was soon to follow, to somewhat mitigate the energy crisis.

He called on people to rise above their differences and help the flood-affected people of Sindh as a united nation. “The people of Sindh are in distress and we all need to help them as a nation during this critical time,” Nawaz said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th,  2011.