LARKANA: Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has advised the Mutthida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to dissociate itself from criminals who, he said, would be dealt with according to law.

Speaking to reporters at the Bhuttos mausoleum in Garhi Khuda Bukhsh Bhutto on Sunday, Mr Shah said every citizen was equal in the eyes of law. He said a big majority of the MQM cadre was in politics and the party had considerable support in Karachi and Hyderabad. It has actively participated in the recent Senate elections, he observed.

Know more: MQM's criticism of army and Rangers unacceptable: Nisar

Mr Shah said MQM chief Altaf Hussain had the right to criticise the provincial government but everyone should respect the legislature, executive, judiciary, armed forces and other institutions. “The law-enforcement agencies should not be made controversial,” he stressed.

In reply to a question, the chief minister said that the police and Rangers were authorised to take action and carry out operations in Karachi. A decision to this effect was taken after taking all stakeholders on board, he added. “The very issue was discussed at a meeting with the prime minister in the presence of the leaders of all political parties.

It was also discussed in a federal cabinet meeting. The operation in Karachi was launched only after taking the stakeholders in confidence,” he recalled, and appreciated efforts by the police and Rangers in curbing terrorism and crime.

Replying to another question, Mr Shah said he in the light of the 21st constitutional amendment headed the apex committee formed in each of the provinces. “The committee formulates its policy and the law-enforcement agencies implement it,” he explained.

“As a result of the ongoing operation, the law and order situation in Karachi has improved to a great extent and now people can be seen visiting beaches even in the late night hours without any fear,” he said.

In the interior of Sindh also, people got relief from crime, which had registered a remarkable decrease and the number of kidnapping for ransom had come down to almost zero, the CM said. Terrorism, however, was yet to be wiped out from the province, he added.

Meanwhile, the chief minister laid wreaths on Bhuttos graves and offering fateha. Later, he chaired a meeting of the mazar committee which reviewed arrangements for the 36th death anniversary of PPP founder leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto falling on April 4.

He was quoted as saying that party chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was expected to attend the anniversary programmes along with his father and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.SUKKUR: Speaking to the media at the Sukkur Circuit House after arriving in the city late in the evening, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah voiced his party’s unequivocal support to the Rangers-led operation in Karachi, arguing that all stakeholders had agreed to launch such an operation in view of a constantly worsening law and order situation there.

He said the law-enforcement agencies would pursue fleeing criminals from Karachi to Kashmore and take them to task.

No one should raise a hue and cry as the decision about the operation was taken unanimously. “There can be no compromise on terrorism but our political relationship and coordination with the MQM is a different thing,” he told the media.

Regarding the March 11 raid on the MQM headquarters — Nine Zero — in Karachi, the chief minister said it was one of the actions taken by the law-enforcement agencies which sometimes conducted as many as 10 raids within a night.

The cases of the suspects arrested in the raid on the Nine Zero were in court and it was up to the court to dispose them of, he said.

In reply to a question, he said anyone, be it a PPP worker, would be arrested and taken to task if found involved in any criminal activity.

He acknowledged that the absconding convict of the infamous Wali Khan Babar murder case was among those arrested during the raid on the Nine Zero.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2015

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