Pakistan

PM likely to take hard line against MQM, PPP during Karachi visit

PM postponed his scheduled visit to Karachi on Monday to discuss 'policy guidelines' with the army chief: source

Abdul Manan June 30, 2015

PHOTO: ONLINE

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to visit Karachi on Wednesday to issue a strong policy statement on the city’s security situation, sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune.

“The premier postponed his scheduled visit to Karachi on Monday as he wanted to discuss some policy guidelines with the military ahead of his visit,” an official source told The Express Tribune.

“PM Nawaz will visit Karachi on July 1 and is expected to deliver a strong policy statement on the Karachi situation,” the source said.

Read: PM Nawaz postpones Karachi visit

The development comes after PM Nawaz met with Army chief General Raheel Sharif at the PM House earlier today. “Matters related to Operation Zarb-e-Azb as well as return, rehabilitation and resettlement of Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs) came under discussion during the meeting,” a statement from the PM House read.

Regarding the meeting, the source said, “PM Nawaz and General Raheel Sharif discussed Karachi’s situation in the wake of BBC’s report on Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and Pakistan People Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari's stance on the ongoing Rangers operation against criminals particularly corruption and bad governance in Sindh government.”

Read: Karachi unrest: MQM received funds, training from India, BBC

The top civil and military leadership discussed an 'ideal' situation in which they were ready to 'spare' Zardari for the time-being but squeeze the party's financiers in Sindh, the source added.

Further, the source upheld that although Zardari has backtracked from his statement against the military establishment, the civil-military leadership have decided that the former president’s future course of action would determine where he stood.

"One of Zardari's biggest financial supporters might be in trouble as he purchased Sindh government land from Zardari,” the source added.

Read: Criticism against army is unacceptable: PM Nawaz

The source also said, “Rangers will continue operation against criminals, corruption and bad governance in Sindh come what may."

On the involvement of India’s premier spy agency, RAW, in Pakistan, the source said, “Pakistan' s representative in UN Maliha Lodhi has been summoned and will be asked to play a more active role in highlighting Indian interference in Pakistan’s affairs.

Read: Pakistan to alert UN on Indian involvement

Lauding Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar’s role in the cases against MQM, the source said, “Altaf Hussain's cases will be pursued in cooperation with UK authorities.”

COMMENTS (24)

JSM | 9 years ago | Reply Is this like March 1971 in East Pakistan?

kamal | 9 years ago | Reply Right. Usually the most aggressive and loudmouth bosses in the office are the biggest cowards at home when confronted by their wives. The similarities here are striking. So now he is going to office In Sindh.

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Ch. Allah Daad | 9 years ago | Reply Now Mian Sahib and ruler of Pakistan should have another meeting in the wake of fabricated statement.

Umar | 9 years ago | Reply Finally Mr. Sharif is taking the right decisions. As a PTI voter I fully support and commend him for standing the Army in its quest to cleanse Sindh.

Wali | 9 years ago | Reply spare’ Zardari for the time-being but squeeze the party’s financiers in Sindh, the source added.? any one comment please.

raghu | 9 years ago | Reply This MQM being RAW agents has boomeranged. Sad that they are called Indian agents. Pakistanis shuuld stop talking about India's other because they dont moral right.

Bairooni Haath | 9 years ago | Reply 3rd umpire is smiling on PML right now.

Raisani | 9 years ago | Reply Boy! Do exactly as you are told.

Uzair | 9 years ago | Reply Who is Zardari 's biggest financial supporter who has purchased land from Sindh Government? Is he Malik Riaz ? He is one of the biggest fraud and cheat on this earth. He must not be spared and his fraud must be taken to a logical end..

Khan | 9 years ago | Reply Go Nawaz Go!

Saqib | 9 years ago | Reply PM has been cut short to the level of General Bajwa.

Ch. Allah Daad | 9 years ago | Reply Mian Sahib should not have mentioned party names, instead he should use words like "all criminals and terrorists".

shahid sattar | 9 years ago | Reply I have strong belief that no harm will be done to PPP and Zardari till the time Sharifs are in power. They are brothers in arms as far as looting this country is concerned. They way Ayan Ali shows up on every hearing is glaring example of how this country stands hostage to these 'respectable and very powerful people'.

Haider | 9 years ago | Reply @RadioHead There is an ongoing operation in Karachi done by military.So in extraordinary conditions extra ordinary steps need to be taken...PM doesnt consult about Lahore and other cities and only consults about baluchistan, northern areas, karachi

Radiohead | 9 years ago | Reply Nawaz Sharif has been brought down to the level of Mamnoon Hussain.

Mubashir | 9 years ago | Reply Where was this SOURCE sitting when the meeting was one on one. How come every time this source gets all details of every one on one discussion between PM and Army Chief. Why this source always tells information like PM is blind and dough but Army Chief is a superman?

Abrar Tariq | 9 years ago | Reply PM to not take hardline against MQM ? What a joke. Nawaz shrief always protected the criminal leadership of MQM in recent past. He is part of problem, not part of solution

Parvez | 9 years ago | Reply If he ACTUALLY delivers a strong statement...... he'll be reading something given to him to read........under the present circumstances anything that gets results will be welcome.

ishrat salim | 9 years ago | Reply @khan shahzaib: Please read the statement from PM secretariat. Why should the PM take policy guidlines from the Army ? Is this not speak of incompetency on the part of the PM ? It is the incompetence of the civilian govt that invites Army. The case of setting up military court approved by the Parliament should open your eyes. It was the civilian govt`s acceptance of failure of present judicial system that forced them to accept military courts to try the terrorists. So, instead of bringing in reforms in the present judicial system setting up of military court is the answer ? what does this mean - incompetency by the civilian govt.

Hasan Askari | 9 years ago | Reply Basically Punjabi establishment which includes army and punjabi civilian government are behind all the mess in karachi. By sparing punjab based terrorism which is 90 percent of the terrorism in pakistan (lashkar, lal masjid, sipah, jaish, ttp and lakhvi, let) they are not doing any service to Pakistan in the long run. Even in Sindh their aim is more political than real clean up. They want to install someone other than MQM. Funding part is a disgusting allegation on founders of Pakistan. It is a victory for every Indian. Who use to say that see your two nation theory was rejected as you yourself ended up as two nations. Now they will say see you left our country and now you are being labelled as agent. These tribal, backwards have ruined the whole two nation theory. Clowns meeting every second day will achieve nothing because their niyat and intention is wrong.

khan shahzaib | 9 years ago | Reply Civilian leadership in Pakistan has not been able to evolve because of people who are always ready to welcome troops overtaking government only to regret that 10 years later before welcoming another coup leader.

ishrat salim | 9 years ago | Reply The PM has to take policy guidelines from the Army chief with regard to Sindh, what a civil-military balance ? yet supporters will not agree that in-competence of civilian govt has been exposed further.

Radiohead | 9 years ago | Reply “The premier postponed his scheduled visit to Karachi on Monday as he wanted to discuss some policy guidelines with the military ahead of his visit,” Commentators, please comment on above statement.

Dija | 9 years ago | Reply Why should PPP be spared?....that would make the role of the agencies controversial; the supporters of criminal and illegal activities need to be taken to task, irrespective of who it may be.

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