RAWALPINDI, May 4: Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider said here on Saturday the police operation against the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM), in which 75 activists were reportedly arrested, was a step of the government towards uprooting the weapon culture from the country.

This he said, while responding to newsmen’s questions at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), where he was the chief guest on the occasion of collective prayers, held for a late student.

“Terrorism was promoted in this region because of the easy availability of the weapons,” he said adding “the government will never allow anybody to keep or show weapons publicly.”

About the MQM’s threats of a general strike in Karachi, the minister said those who wanted to create problems in an already unstable economy, could not be the friends of the country. “We will not allow anybody to do such kinds of things,” the minister added.