Govt on verge of cracking Safoora carnage case: Nisar

Interior minister claims bus attackers have appeared on law enforcers’ radar

KARACHI: The government is inching closer to solving the May 13 carnage case which left 45 people dead in Karachi, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar told the media at the Governor House on Monday.

Forty-five people belonging to the Ismaili community were killed after gunmen intercepted a bus in the metropolitan city.

“The law enforcers have arrested a few suspects and achieved a major breakthrough in the case,” Nisar said. “This does not mean that we have arrested the culprits involved in the attack – but they have appeared on our radar.”

He evaded further questions on the subject. “Intelligence agencies need more time to probe the case. I assure you that we shall trace all the elements behind this horrific incident.”



The minister said nothing would be revealed in haste. “This is not a T20 or a 50-over match. We are in a war-like situation and this is one of the most sensitive cases.”

He criticised the political parties that have been demanding the Sindh CM’s resignation in the wake of the terror attack.
“These kinds of incidents occur every day, which is why we cannot demand removal of the CM or the police chief of the province. It is an irrational demand.”

Operation Zarb-e-Azb

Nisar said many terrorists have been killed during operations, but despite the government’s efforts, some terrorists have managed to escape to the other side of the border or have taken refuge in towns and cities.

Talking about the progress of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, he said that around 10,000 intelligence-driven operations have been conducted and 36,000 suspects arrested.



“The civil and military forces are on the same page, and all political parties have been taken into confidence. The terrorists’ days are numbered. We have to win the war against them!”

Four meetings in a day

Soon after his arrival in Karachi, the minister held three separate meetings with Rangers DG Maj-Gen Bilal Akbar, Sindh CM Qaim Ali Shah and Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad.

He presided over a fourth meeting at the Rangers headquarters to discuss the city’s law and order situation with Sindh’s police chief, chief secretary and home secretary as well as officials of the police, Rangers and intelligence agencies.

Private security agencies

“We have decided to devise a uniform policy on private security agencies,” the minister said.“More than 300 private security agencies have been operating in Karachi, hiring a large number of guards without proper verification. We want to discourage this practice. Karachi’s security is very important to us.”

Illegal immigrants

Regarding illegal immigrants, Nisar said all political forces should sit together to devise a strategy to rid the country of them. “Nara was supposed to register illegal immigrants, but it failed to deliver, which is why we have merged it into NADRA.”

Imran Farooq murder case

Responding to a question about an alleged agreement with the British government for handing over the suspects involved in the Imran Farooq murder case, the minister said: “We have neither signed such an agreement nor are we mulling it over.”

He said that under the current system, neither country can hand over suspects to each other. “Negotiations are under way with the British government over a detained suspect, but I cannot comment further at this stage.” The JIT report of a suspect arrested by the Rangers has also been finalised, he added.

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