Karachi op not party-specific, says PM
MQM workers are being presented as convicts in the media even though no charges have been proved against them
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
The prime minister has said that Karachiites have already suffered immensely and it is a moral obligation of all political parties to make sincere efforts to restore peace in the troubled metropolis.
Speaking to a delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) at the Prime Minister House on Friday, Nawaz Sharif also said that the surgical operation in Karachi was not against any party or group as the law enforcement agencies have been directed to target terrorists and criminals indiscriminately.
The premier reminded the delegation that the Karachi operation was launched with the consensus of all political parties and would continue till the elimination of all criminal elements in the city.
He said the ruling PML-N did not believe in political confrontation. “We have struggled for the restoration of democracy and for upholding the rule of law having learnt a lot from the past. We have faced extremely difficult times but did not compromise on our principles,” he added.
The MQM delegation comprised MNAs Dr Farooq Sattar, Abdul Rashid Godail and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. After the meeting, Sattar told journalists outside the Prime Minister House that Premier Nawaz assured them that he would order investigation into the recording of the video statement of condemned target killer Saulat Mirza.
He claimed that no criminal was arrested from the MQM headquarters Nine-Zero during the March 11 Rangers raid. All the arrests were made from the houses adjoining Nine-Zero, he claimed. He said that in the meeting they conveyed to the premier their party’s reservations on the Nine-Zero raid and subsequent events.
Sattar claimed that the MQM was facing a media trial following the Nine-Zero raid and it was wrongly portrayed as a party harbouring criminals. MQM workers are being presented as convicts in the media even though no charges have been proved against them.
According to sources, the MQM delegation especially conveyed concerns over Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar’s recent meeting with British High Commissioner Philip Barton where the former raised the issue of Altaf Hussain’s threatening statements against the law enforcement agencies.
Sources said the delegation told the prime minister that instead of involving the British government senior political leadership of the country should directly contact Altaf or other senior MQM leaders on any issue they want to talk about.
The MQM delegation requested the prime minister that the federal government should not create an impression that the MQM was responsible for target killings, extortion and other crimes or has a militant wing in Karachi.
They said that by not inviting Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad, who belongs to the MQM, to a recent security huddle the prime minister chaired at the PAF Base Faisal in Karachi, the government has created an impression that the MQM was behind the prevailing law and order mess in the metropolis.
The delegation also asked the prime minister not to encourage disgruntled workers/leaders of the MQM in order to politically damage the party, sources said. In this context, the delegation expressed serious reservations over one-month stay in the execution of Saulat Mirza. This, the delegation said, would encourage other disgruntled activists of the party to speak against the party leadership in the hope of finding favours with the government.
According to sources, the prime minister gave a patient ear to the MQM delegation but did not make any commitment or promise. He, however, said that only legitimate demands of the MQM would be addressed. Sources said the prime minister politely asked the MQM delegation that peace in Karachi was the responsibility of paramilitary Rangers and any retaliation against their raids could deteriorate the situation.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2015.
The prime minister has said that Karachiites have already suffered immensely and it is a moral obligation of all political parties to make sincere efforts to restore peace in the troubled metropolis.
Speaking to a delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) at the Prime Minister House on Friday, Nawaz Sharif also said that the surgical operation in Karachi was not against any party or group as the law enforcement agencies have been directed to target terrorists and criminals indiscriminately.
The premier reminded the delegation that the Karachi operation was launched with the consensus of all political parties and would continue till the elimination of all criminal elements in the city.
He said the ruling PML-N did not believe in political confrontation. “We have struggled for the restoration of democracy and for upholding the rule of law having learnt a lot from the past. We have faced extremely difficult times but did not compromise on our principles,” he added.
The MQM delegation comprised MNAs Dr Farooq Sattar, Abdul Rashid Godail and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. After the meeting, Sattar told journalists outside the Prime Minister House that Premier Nawaz assured them that he would order investigation into the recording of the video statement of condemned target killer Saulat Mirza.
He claimed that no criminal was arrested from the MQM headquarters Nine-Zero during the March 11 Rangers raid. All the arrests were made from the houses adjoining Nine-Zero, he claimed. He said that in the meeting they conveyed to the premier their party’s reservations on the Nine-Zero raid and subsequent events.
Sattar claimed that the MQM was facing a media trial following the Nine-Zero raid and it was wrongly portrayed as a party harbouring criminals. MQM workers are being presented as convicts in the media even though no charges have been proved against them.
According to sources, the MQM delegation especially conveyed concerns over Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar’s recent meeting with British High Commissioner Philip Barton where the former raised the issue of Altaf Hussain’s threatening statements against the law enforcement agencies.
Sources said the delegation told the prime minister that instead of involving the British government senior political leadership of the country should directly contact Altaf or other senior MQM leaders on any issue they want to talk about.
The MQM delegation requested the prime minister that the federal government should not create an impression that the MQM was responsible for target killings, extortion and other crimes or has a militant wing in Karachi.
They said that by not inviting Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad, who belongs to the MQM, to a recent security huddle the prime minister chaired at the PAF Base Faisal in Karachi, the government has created an impression that the MQM was behind the prevailing law and order mess in the metropolis.
The delegation also asked the prime minister not to encourage disgruntled workers/leaders of the MQM in order to politically damage the party, sources said. In this context, the delegation expressed serious reservations over one-month stay in the execution of Saulat Mirza. This, the delegation said, would encourage other disgruntled activists of the party to speak against the party leadership in the hope of finding favours with the government.
According to sources, the prime minister gave a patient ear to the MQM delegation but did not make any commitment or promise. He, however, said that only legitimate demands of the MQM would be addressed. Sources said the prime minister politely asked the MQM delegation that peace in Karachi was the responsibility of paramilitary Rangers and any retaliation against their raids could deteriorate the situation.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2015.