After Karachi, unannounced operation to follow in rest of Sindh: PA speaker

Agha Siraj Durrani says outgoing IGP didn’t take him seriously when he asked him to visit volatile areas.

KARACHI:

An ‘unannounced’ targeted operation will be launched in other districts of Sindh, announced Sindh Assembly speaker Agha Siraj Durrani.

Speaking to the media at Karachi Press Club on Thursday, Durrani blamed frequent transfers and postings in the police department for the inept performance of the law enforcers. “Every month we see a new SSP in our district,” he pointed out, referring to his hometown, Shikarpur. “We must appoint competent police officers, fix their tenure and give them a free hand.”

Durrani admitted that he asked the outgoing Sindh IGP Shahid Nadeem Baloch to personally visit the volatile areas but he did not take him seriously. “The law and order situation can only be controlled when top cops in the department pay personal visits and monitor these areas.”

The speaker also criticised the provincial bureaucracy. “The elected government is willing to deliver but the bureaucracy is creating problems,” he said. “They [bureaucrats] have no interest in public development and so they always seek excuses. I think bureaucratic red-tape is a major reason why we have so many problems.”

Durrani, who is also the president of Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Larkana division, acknowledged that ‘jirgas’ are held under the supervision of politicians despite court orders to ban them. “On the directives of PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, we tried to resolve tribal clashes but this exercise proved to be fruitless. This is a sensitive issue which can take time to resolve.”

On rampant corruption in government departments, he said the government does not have a magic wand to resolve corruption overnight. “Corruption is a deep-rooted problem that started with the dictators,” he claimed. “What can we do when the anti-corruption department is also a victim of it [corruption].”

The speaker, who served as the local government minister in the previous government, was of the view that General (retd) Pervez Musharraf gave a free hand to the nazims, who broke all records of dishonesty.

PML-F switching sides?

Is the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional going to join the government? “PPP believes in the reconciliation policy conceived by Benazir Bhutto and we will welcome the PML-N, the PML-F and the MQM to join us,” he said. Durrani is not part of the negotiating team of the government but, he said, the government is trying to take all parties on board in the larger interests of the province.

Sindh Festival

Durrani dismissed all criticisms levelled against the Sindh Festival. PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the first person to start a campaign to preserve Moen Jo Daro and his daughter, Benazir, followed his steps. “Now, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has taken the same initiative that has prompted the United States ambassador and other dignitaries to visit the site.”

Passion for hunting

Durrani proudly talked about his passion for hunting and promised to share pictures of the animals he has hunted with the media.

In the end, the announced that the old Sindh Assembly building will be converted into a museum as soon as the new building is complete. The museum will be open for public every Sunday. He also announced a Rs300,000 grant for the Karachi Press Club.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2014.