November 30, 2008	Sunday	Zilhaj 1, 1429

KARACHI, Nov 29: In an effort to stem growing ethnic violence in the city, Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza issued on Saturday shoot-to-kill orders to the police and other law-enforcement agencies against criminals involved in incidents of firing and destroying the peace of the metropolis.

“I mean business and the government will never tolerate such activities. I have ordered the police and law enforcing agencies to shoot and kill people involved in firing,” he said at a press conference jointly addressed by him and leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Awami National Party at ‘90’, the MQM’s headquarters.

Dr Mirza made it clear that the government would take strict action against anti-social and anti-Karachi elements irrespective of their party affiliation.

Leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party, the MQM and the ANP visited one another’s offices as a show of reconciliatory process to maintain peace and order in the city. The PPP and ANP delegation arrived at the MQM headquarters from where the leaders of the three coalition parties visited Bacha Khan Markaz, the headquarters of the ANP, and then the People’s Secretariat before addressing another joint press conference at Nishtar Park.

With regard to Saturday’s violence in the city, the home minister said that anti-Pakistan elements had tried to sabotage what he called the caravan of peace by pushing it towards destruction in a planned manner, but the government, with the help of its coalition partners, would forcefully curb it. “There is no room for terrorism and violence in this city. We want to make Karachi peaceful and the solidarity we show is a step towards it,” he said.

Condemning the incidents of violence, Dr Farooq Sattar of the MQM and Shahi Syed of the ANP also assured the home minister that they would extend him every cooperation needed and urged him to take action against criminals irrespective of their party affiliation.

Dr Sattar said the PPP, the MQM and the ANP were coalition partners in Sindh and in order to unmask the conspirators the three parties had made a caravan of peace and visited one another’s offices to show their solidarity. “Our visit not only gave confidence to the people of Karachi but of the whole country. Solidarity among the coalition partners is the only guarantee of political stability and durable peace.”

He said extremism, terrorism and Talibanisation could only be eliminated through mutual cooperation.

He said “miscreants targeted innocent citizens of Karachi” and it was the responsibility of the government to take action against them and provide security to its people. “We have assured the government that we will support every action it takes (to maintain peace).”

ANP leader Shahi Syed said that by demonstrating solidarity the three parties had proved that they wanted to see Karachi a peaceful and prosperous city.

He said violence was no solution to problems. “I made it clear that we have no relation with those involved in torching vehicles or blocking roads. Strict action should be taken against such elements and none of the three parties will support them,” he added.

He praised Dr Mirza for jointly visiting the affected areas of the city to foil a conspiracy to fan violence.

He said a six-member coordination committee consisting of two representatives of each party had been formed to extend the process of reconciliation.

Talibanisation

Answering a question about Talibanisation, the home minister said no evidence had been found regarding the presence of the Taliban in Sindh as there was no case of forcible closure of girls’ schools, shops or enforcing of Islam at gunpoint.

However, he said he never rejected that there were some sleeper cells of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi.

Regarding the registration of people coming here from the tribal areas, he said the remarks of President Asif Zardari were reported out of context. “During the Zia regime, there was a law about registration of all Afghans coming here and this is still in place. It does not mean that a person coming here from Matli should be registered,” he added.

Shahi Syed said people having the Taliban mentality was present everywhere, including western countries.

PPP founding day

PPP Karachi Division president Faisal Raza Abidi invited the MQM and the ANP to attend a public meeting to be held on Sunday at Nishtar Park.

Dr Sattar congratulated the PPP on its founding day and thanked its leadership for inviting his party to the programme.