KARACHI, May 2: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said here on Wednesday that state authority would not be allowed to be eroded, and a well-planned and exhaustive strategy had been made to establish writ of the government.

The chief minister, who returned home from Dubai after attending a conference on investment, was addressing a crowded press conference on law and order situation in the province, with specific reference to Lyari.

Dispelling the impression created by the “vested interests” that the operation had been launched against a particular community, the chief minister recalled that it was continuing across the board at different places in Karachi, and in one night, up to 50 raids had been conducted and criminals were hauled up from elsewhere.

In Lyari also after complaints of criminals’ presence and their involvement in unlawful activities, raids were conducted in selected areas which regretfully took an ugly turn when an important office- bearer of PPP, Malik Mohammad Khan, was assassinated when he was leading a protest rally against the verdict by the apex court against Prime Minister Gilani. When the operation was launched to nab criminals, the police faced retaliation which indicated that the criminals were ready for it.

Referring to blasts in different cities of the province in which National Bank branches were targeted on Tuesday, the CM said only those institutions were targeted which have a national identity.

“Who could be behind the blasts except those who want to push the country towards insurgency and want separation?”

“They are against Pakistan and are working against solidarity of the country.”

He said these elements are not working in isolation; they could have joined hands with Taliban.

He said: “This situation certainly is cause of concern.”

The officials of law-enforcement agencies, he said, have given him briefing on the prevailing law and order situation in Karachi and elsewhere in the province, and contours of an exhaustive strategy to meet the situation were considered and would be finalised on Friday. The Interior Minister, Rehman Malik, would also attend the meeting.

The chief minister said that law and order situation in other parts of the province was better than before as there were no reports of heinous crimes from interior parts of the province where kidnappings for ransom, targeted killings, dacoities and highway robberies were not taking places in Hyderabad division which has 10 districts while in Sukkur and Larkana, there was sufficient reduction in such crimes.To a question, the chief minister said Lyari was the stronghold of PPP and would remain so in future also. But certainly it was shocking that a number of people were forcibly dislodged from their houses and a number of them were made hostage.

He further stated that the government had made arrangements to provide relief to stranded people, and compensation would be given to families of the innocent people killed.

He said that no time-frame could be given about the end of the operation. It would certainly take some time to root out criminals from the city.

The Rangers and Police are on the same page and have good coordination in carrying out raids, he said.

To yet another question, the chief minister said that the killers of Salahuddin were given colour of sectarianism while the man who was arrested had revealed about indulgence of terrorists.

He reiterated his pledge that criminals would not be tolerated in any guise.

Those present included Information Minister Shazia Marri, Mian Rashid Rabbani, Syed Waqar Mehdi, Additional Home Secretary Sohail Akbar Shah and IGP Syed Mushtaq Shah.