Pakistan

Steps in Karachi: ‘Restoring peace is PM’s main goal’

Information and broadcasting minister says Imran is able to carry out activities in Karachi because of govt efforts

APP April 19, 2015

Campaign was launched as a counter-narrative to dharna speeches. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD:

Bringing peace to Karachi is the main target of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Information and Broadcasting Minister Senator Pervaiz Rashid said on Saturday, while PTI chief Imran Khan’s efforts in the same city were directed at gaining a seat there.

In a statement, the minister said that Imran Khan’s free movement and activities in Karachi had become possible only after the government succeeded in taking culprits to task.

“Had the prime minister not initiated the process to once again turn Karachi into the city of lights, it would not have been possible for Imran to organise a gathering there without the MQM’s NOC,” the minister added.

About the Karachi bye-election, he said that the PML-N did not field its candidate in NA-246 as it could have given a political colour to the ongoing operation in Karachi.

He said that the PML-N does not believe in doing politics of securing National Assembly constituencies in Karachi, rather it was doing politics of service and doing its best to make Karachi a peaceful city.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2015.

COMMENTS (5)

S.R.H. Hashmi | 9 years ago | Reply Nawaz Sharif is the Prime Minister not of Karachi or Sindh but of the whole of Pakistan, with his brother being the Chief Minister of the province holding over sixty percent of the total population of Pakistan. He need not worry too much about Karachi because law enforcers are doing a reasonably satisfactory job here with occasional cases of high-handedness of course. In fact, the Sindh government is also about to start its campaign against dubious seminaries as well. The job is not just to eliminate terrorists but to introduce measures that discourage and eliminate the sources, circumstances and the environment that encourage and promote intolerance, extremism and terrorism. And this part of the job is far more important than the simple act of eliminating of terrorists who, after lying low for sometime, can re-emerge later when the intensity of the operation decreases, which it does naturally. However, Nawaz Sharif who never tires of taking credit for Karachi operation, and his brother Shahbaz Sharif have yet to muster enough courage to take on militancy, extremism and terrorism in their home province where the headquarters of Punjabi Taliban and other sectarian outfits are based. And far from pursuing the terrorist and sectarian outfits, attempts are reported to be underway to cut down the scope of National Action Plan so that the state of a truce between Sharif Brothers and these outfits - which forbids disturbing peace in Punjab but leaves them free to operate elsewhere in Pakistan - is not disturbed. Nawaz Sharif government 's approach to the law and order situation in the country can be judged by the fact it could not tolerate even one forthright police officer , and showed him the door. As for PML-N not fielding a candidate for NA-246 seat for fear of giving the operation a political colour, well, it would have been better had the truth been told, which is that PML-N had absolutely no chance in this constituency. Karachi

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Blithe | 9 years ago | Reply Great work by pm to clean up Karachi . Pakisyan turning around with pmln government .

raider | 9 years ago | Reply yes we know seriousness of our pm, he has still to visit APS after his first visit but he is more bothered about Saudis instead of Pakistani, having nearly nil vote bank in Karachi pm s aim and statement seem auspicious

Fareed | 9 years ago | Reply Do we have ministry of Imranisation? Pervez Rasheed always comes on media agaianst Imran Khan instead of doing his job. He doesn't even utter a word on more serious issues from target killers arrested in Karachi to Govt's position on Saudi-Yemen conflict.

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