May 25, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 08, 1428

PESHAWAR, May 24: Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Salim Saifullah Khan has underlined the need for setting up an inquiry commission — comprising jurists, journalists and human rights activists — to probe into the May 12 killings in Karachi.

Speaking at a news conference at his residence on Thursday, Mr Khan said the Pakistan Muslim League-Q had condemned the May 12 killings in Karachi and condoled with the bereaved families.

He said Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz visited Karachi and directed the Sindh government to investigate the tragic event. He said he and interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao accompanied the prime minister.

He said Karachi was ‘mini-Pakistan’ where people from all over the country lived in peace and harmony until recently. The May 12 mayhem was an ‘accidental tragedy’ and it could not be dubbed as an ethic clash between the Mohajir community and other ethnic groups residing side-by-side in the sprawling port city.

He said he had the right to criticise the MQM, the PML or the Awami National Party, but he did not want to make sweeping remarks against the Mohajir community, which had made unparalleled sacrifices for the creation of Pakistan.

He asked the opposition parties to wait until the verdict of a full court on the presidential reference against the chief justice was announced. He said it was purely a constitutional issue, which the opposition parties had politicised for their political gains.

He claimed that there was no crisis in the country, adding that elected assemblies would complete their five-year tenure without any disruption.

He agreed that the people were faced with price hike, but claimed that the government had taken some concrete steps to control it. The government had banned the export of wheat, flour, sugar, ghee and pulses to control the prices.

He said the federal government had decided to set up 1,000 more utility stores across the country to end hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities.

The minister said a caretaker government would replace the present government in Nov 2007, which would hold free, fair and transparent elections in the country. He said President Gen Pervez Musharraf would seek vote for his second term in September and October from present assemblies.

He said his ministry had prepared a bill on the provincial autonomy, which would be tabled after the budget session in parliament for approval. He lamented that none of the provincial governments had offered any proposals on the issue.

“The concurrent list empowers provinces to make legislation. The federal government has not barred them from doing so,” he added.

He said maintenance of law and order was the prime responsibility of the provinces. He said he had proposed to relevant quarters to send the Frontier Constabulary platoons stationed in other provinces back to the NWFP. He said half of the platoons had reached the NWFP, while the remaining would come back soon.

In reply to a question about provincial share from profit of hydroelectricity, the minister said that the share should be enhanced as Rs6 billion was meagre sum to cater to the need of a backward province. He said it would be unjust to cap it on just Rs6 billion.