KARACHI, April 15: Leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has that the assigning of investigations in the Nishtar Park bomb blast to the federal agencies, including the ISI, is not only an expression of ‘no confidence’ in the provincial functionaries, but also an attempt to protect the coalition at which the finger of accusation has been pointed.

Mr Khuhro was commenting on the reports of strife in the areas near civil hospital, Khudadad Colony and Malir where angry armed men reportedly went on the rampage on Saturday.

Demanding a judicial probe into the incident to fix responsibility of the blast, he claimed that induction of ISI in overseeing the investigations could serve both ways for the government.

He was shocked at the trading of accusations by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Jamaat-i-Islami against each other after the blast although, he pointed out, at that point of time, even the home minister was not aware of the details. He pointed out that such allegations were also hurled at religious elements after the PIDC blast, but soon afterwards, the government changed its stance and brought in the BLA, perhaps to fit in a much bigger conspiracy of victimization, and eliminating the opposition for raising the demand for control of resources and real provincial autonomy.

He alleged that Gen Musharraf had gone out of the way to protect a coalition partner in Sindh, and recalled that when Hakim Said had been assassinated, the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif had acted swiftly in taking action against the coalition led by his own party.

He was of the view that Gen Musharraf was responsible for the deterioration in the law and order situation in Sindh because when the MQM was inducted in the coalition, he had declared that he was “buying peace for Sindh by inducting that party.” But, he asked, who was responsible for the high profile assassinations in the province. The law-enforcement agencies were either clueless or were trying to cover up things for the government, he added.

“Somebody is blindly protecting them and I believe the army was also inducted in the city to provide them protection against the wrath of the people,” said Mr Khuhro, demanding immediate removal of the provincial government and holding of free and fair election.

Mr Khuhro reiterated opposition’s demand that the provincial government should step down forthwith after its failure in maintaining law and order in the Sindh. He termed the Nishtar Park blast ‘an incident of target killing’ as no security arrangements were made on the eve of the Eid Miladun Nabi which, he claimed, showed that it was a well-conceived conspiracy.

He said that people believed that the government was responsible for at least 50 per cent of such killings.

Mr Khuhro alleged that political opponents were being subjected to victimization as religious and political leaders were being eliminated, villages were being demolished and common people were being killed and deprived of their properties.