Politically backed offensive: 9,000 outlaws held in Karachi operation, says Nisar

Says no political party has owned the criminals; third phase to be much more intense.

ISLAMABAD:

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday told the Senate that the first phase of Karachi operation has been completed, with more than 9,000 criminals arrested in over 600 targeted raids conducted during the last two months.

“We have completed the first phase of operation and now the second phase is under way. The third phase will be more intense,” disclosed the interior minister.

Nisar said Karachi Police, in coordination with Sindh Rangers and intelligence agencies, have carried out 677 raids in which 9,000 criminals were arrested. He said 330 encounters also took place in which 34 criminals were killed. The house was told that 36,293 pieces of ammunition and 1,252 weapons have been recovered.

The minister said law enforcement agencies were chasing the criminal elements who had fled to other parts of the country and abroad. “Some of these absconders have been arrested in Murree, Lahore, interior Sindh and other parts of the country,” he added.



Although all the political parties have played a constructive role in controlling the situation of Karachi, there were some legitimate reservations of the political parties including MQM. The minister said that so far no political party has owned any criminal elements. However, the arrested persons are claiming to have links with certain political parties, he said.

Defending his word

Defending his statement in Senate which had triggered anger of opposition members who are still on protest, the minister said there was no issue but some senators had unnecessarily politicised it. He further stated that the drones issue did not even come under his ministry; it was a matter concerning the defence ministry, he said.

Commenting on the criticism directed at the government for not starting the peace process before the killing of the Taliban chief, Nisar said, he and his team were silently engaged with the groups concerned for seven weeks. When arrangements were finalised and negotiation team was about to leave for tribal areas to kick off formal peace talks, they were sabotaged by the attack.

Justifying delay in the process, he said that the martyrdom of two senior military officers, attack on the church and other suicide attacks in Peshawar delayed the peace dialogue.

“Despite killing of senior officers, the army leadership was on-board and favoured to resolve the issue through peaceful means. Even the army chief had halted the routine military convoys in the tribal areas to avoid any misunderstanding,” said the interior minister.

The minister further stated that the government had conveyed a clear message to the US ambassador to take Pakistan seriously. “I clearly told him if our sovereignty is violated, there can be a stand-off in relations between the two countries.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2013.