KARACHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif advised the PPP and Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Friday to solve their problems through talks, avoid conflicts and work for peace in Karachi because the law and order situation here had its impact on the entire country.

He said the operation against terrorists was producing good results and the credit went to Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah for the return of peace to the city.

The prime minister, who arrived in the metropolis for a brief visit, presided over a high-level meeting on the law and order situation at the Governor’s House, met families of three slain MQM workers and ordered a judicial inquiry into MQM’s complaint about extra-judicial killings and action against culprits to ensure justice in society.

He also visited the Karachi Stock Exchange and met its board directors.

LAW & ORDER: During the meeting at the Governor’s House, the prime minister said terrorists creating lawlessness in Karachi were enemies of the country. In order to implement the National Action Plan (NAP), he added, new laws would soon be passed by parliament to eliminate terrorism.

Governor Ishratul Ibad, CM Qaim Ali Shah, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, provincial ministers Nisar Khuhro, Sharjeel Memon and Murad Ali Shah, the chief secretary, home secretary, Sindh IG, Rangers director general, chiefs of intelligence agencies, MQM leaders Qamar Mansoor, Haider Abbas Rizvi and Babar Ghauri and PML-N’s Salim Zia attended the meeting.

The chief minister informed the prime minister that the operation against targeted killings was being carried out without any discriminately. The provincial government has formulated a 14-point policy in the light of NAP and five committees have been set up to implement it.

The legal committee is scrutinising terrorism cases for trial by military courts and the process will be completed within 10 days. In the first phase, over 50 cases will be sent to the federal government for a final decision.

The DG Rangers said the operation against extortionists, target killers, land mafia and other criminals was being carried out indiscriminately.

The IG briefed the meeting on the accused arrested during the operation.

The prime minister expressed displeasure over the delay in sending challans to courts and wondered how cases would be decided in such a scenario. He directed the chief minister to suspend the officials delaying investigation and replace them with able ones.

The prime minister directed that the challans of terrorism-related cases be filed in courts within 15 days. The prosecution department should be reformed and the interior ministry, home department, law-enforcement and intelligence agencies and all other departments should improve their coordination to implement the NAP.

It is learnt that the federal and Sindh governments will jointly take steps to set up military courts in the province and the ongoing operation in Karachi will continue till the achievement of its objectives without any pressure. The pace of operation against terrorists and their political patrons will be expedited and cases will be registered against them under the Protection of Pakistan Act and Anti-Terrorism Act.

The meeting decided to immediately set up an anti-terrorists force in Sindh and its personnel would be trained by the army. Coordination committees comprising officials of the provincial and district administrations and law-enforcement agencies will be set up at the district level. The committees will take steps to implement the NAP in districts.

The meeting also decided to constitute a high-level committee to check and redress complaints about extra-judicial killings and incidents of forced abduction and disappearances during the operation in Karachi. The committee will be formed by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar in consultation with the Sindh government.

Prime Minister Sharif said the NAP had been formulated in consultation with all political parties and through the 21st Constitution Amendment and by amending the Army Act.

He said the families of slain MQM workers would be provided justice and their killers arrested, adding that if any government functionary was found involved, he would be taken to task.

He directed the IG to meet family members of the slain workers and submit a report on the incident. The chief minister has been asked to take notice and redress their complaints.

The MQM delegation urged the prime minister to stop the functionaries from carrying out raids without uniform. The prime minister directed the interior minister and the chief minister to ensure that law-enforcement personnel met the legal requirement while carrying out raids and no innocent person was arrested.

Mr Sharif assured the MQM delegation that their reservations would be addressed. He advised them that instead of resorting to protest, they should hold talks because dialogue was the only solution to all problems.

Talking to reporters after his interaction with the KSE board members, the prime minister said no party could tackle the challenges single-handedly and, therefore, he had advised the MQM and PPP to work together for the welfare of the people of the country in general and Sindh in particular.

He said the Sindh chief minister had already formed a judicial commission to investigate the killing of MQM workers and hoped that justice would be done soon.

Published in Dawn January 31st, 2015

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