Impasse: Talks incompatible with ongoing attacks, says Nisar

Interior minuster announced that the federal government will provide bomb-proof vehicles to the Sindh Police.

KARACHI:

Thursday’s attack on the police in Karachi has created doubts about the Tehreek-e-Taliban’s sincerity towards the ongoing dialogue process, according to Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, who reiterated that peace talks cannot run parallel to such acts of war.

Speaking with the media at Karachi’s airport, he condemned the latest atrocity and said, “We had communicated to the Taliban that there will be no war during the negotiations. But the attack on the police and the group’s subsequent claim of responsibility has created doubts about their sincerity.”

He added, “We have asked the negotiating team to convey the message that these kinds of attacks are not tolerable.” The minister said the prime minister, during his speech in the National Assembly, had emphasised that these attacks must cease – or peace talks would be impossible. Referring to PTI chief Imran Khan’s meeting with the then-army chief General Ashfaq Kayani and Nawaz Sharif, Nisar said, “I was also present at the time and the army chief did not say that there was a 40 per cent chance of success of a military operation against terrorists at that time – Imran Khan is misquoting him.”

Nisar is in the city to meet with the chief minister to discuss Karachi’s law and order situation. He announced that the federal government will provide bomb-proof vehicles to the Sindh Police. He decided this after jointly chairing a meeting with Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah at the CM House on Thursday.

The meeting decided to form a committee comprising officials of the provincial and federal government to improve coordination and yield better results in the ongoing operation. The interior minister was informed that the government has decided to increase the salary package for policemen at sensitive police stations, recruitment of 400 investigation officers in Sindh Police.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah appreciated the federal government’s support to continue the targeted operation against terrorists with full force.  During the meeting, the chief minister briefed Chaudhry Nisar about the problems the province was facing.

But after the Sindh Assembly passed the Sindh Emergency Procurement Act 2014, the urgent procurement of bullet-proof vehicles, jackets and helmets was in process, he said. These will not only protect the police force but also make them strong enough to meet the challenges of terrorism, he added.

The meeting was informed about the establishment of five new Anti-Terrorism Courts that will help in shifting hardened prisoners to other provinces and transfer sensitive cases to other cities within the province for effective prosecution.

Officials pointed out the issue of illegal SIM cards and said the streamlining mechanism for the verification of illegal SIMs needs to be expedited by the Ministry of Interior.

“We have encircled the terrorists in Karachi, which is why we are getting this reaction from the other side,” the CM said.  Shah said in addition to the latest equipment, explosive-detecting gadgets and vehicles, effective training is also needed for the Sindh Police and the provincial government.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2014.