KARACHI, Jan 30: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has said that Karachi depicts the overall situation in the country, adding that if the situation in Karachi is peaceful, the whole of country is regarded as peaceful and if there is a law and order situation in this city, this disturbs the entire country.

He was talking to a delegation of the National Defence College War Course at the Governor's House. Presenting a comparison between the present day situation and that of the '90s, he expressed the view that the turmoil, which hampered business activities, had been the result of inappropriate dealings with certain issues in the past.

Now when the affairs were being handled appropriately, the overall situation in Karachi, as well as the country, had improved, he observed. "Today, Karachi is the emerging hub of the region.

Foreign, besides local, investors are expressing practical interest. Sometime in the past, industrialists and investors were thinking of winding up their business. But now, multinationals and known groups are expanding their operations in Karachi and other parts of the province.''

In reply to a question, he said that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was a major party and a part of the provincial government. However, he said, being governor of Sindh, he did not maintain affiliation with any party and was serving the province without any indiscrimination.

He said that since 1986, the MQM had been a major party of the province and had proved its popularity in local, provincial and general elections. The governor explained the MQM's approach vis-a-vis the two-nation theory, Quaid-i-Azam, Punjab and other provinces and told the delegation that negative propaganda against the party had often been resorted to.

He said that the core of the MQM's philosophy was the elimination of feudal system, and observed that the countries which got rid of the system, had made a remarkable progress.

Dr Ibad clarified that the MQM was not against Punjab, Punjabi-speaking people or any other province or its people. About the situation prevailing in Balochistan, he said that protecting sensitive installations was as necessary as peaceful dialogue to resolve the problems related to the situation.

The governor also informed the delegation about the development schemes at present under way in various sectors and highlighted the measures being taken to improve the standard of living of common man in Sindh.

He said that federal institutions were working on various projects, including the Tameer-i-Karachi Programme to ensure availability of modern facilities in the city.

Provincial ministers Syed Sardar Ahmed, Rauf Siddiqui, Adviser Wasim Akhtar, additional chief secretaries Ghulam Sarwar Khero and Saleem Khan, Home Secretary Brig Nuhtaram, Information Secretary Mehtab Akbar Rashidi and other officials were present at the meeting. -PPI