ISLAMABAD: The members of both houses of the parliament, the National Assembly and the Senate, on Monday feared a conspiracy to pit Shia and Sunni community of Karachi against each other to mar peace on the occasion of Muharram, urging the government to control the situation through deweaponization.

Speaking on a point of order in the lower house, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Sahibzada Fazal Karim mentioned an attack on a caravan against the desecration of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and said the federal and provincial governments have not taken any step to maintain law and order situation in the city despite the matter was repeatedly raised in the house.

He said certain elements were spreading Talibanization in the name of religion and demanded formation of a judicial commission to probe the attack on the religious procession.

Maulana Attaur Rehman of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), mentioning killing of students of a seminary in Karachi, said the incident was not given due importance just because of their association with the seminary.

He demanded the government to provide security cover to seminaries besides extending other facilities as have been provided to colleges and universities.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MNA Wasim Akhtar also raised the issue of law and order situation in the Sindh capital and said military leadership should take notice of the worsening situation, before it turns out of control.

He said the people are being targeted killed and kidnapped for ransom but the federal and provincial governments have yet to take any effective remedial measures.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in the upper house of parliament (Senate) also resumed discussion on a motion regarding law and order situation, target killings and sectarian violence in Balochistan, Karachi and Gilgit-Baltistan on Monday.

The resolution was moved by Senator Col (r) Tahir Hussain Mashhadi on September 6.

Resuming the discussion, Abdul Ghafoor Haidri of JUI said that situation in Karachi was deteriorating with every passing day. Referring to the recent killings in the city, he said that students of a seminary, became victim of a terrorist attack but their murderers have not yet been arrested and no one has taken any notice.

Before the incident, he said the rangers had raided another seminary, Ashraful Madaris, in Karachi without any reason. He said there was an urgent need to take strict measures to stop such incidents.

Zahid Khan of ANP regretted the killing incidents in Karachi, Quetta and Gilgit-Baltistan. He seconded Abdul Ghafoor Haidri and said that no raid should be carried out without any solid proof.

He said that Karachi should be deweaponized before 'Ashoora' and all the political parties should support it to check target killings.

Senator Mohsin Laghari said that Sindh government instead of taking help from rangers should strengthen police. He also suggested enhancing number of police personnel at police stations and in the field.

He said in Balochistan, Frontier Constabulary (FC) was doing the duty of police adding that situation would only improve when every department performed its own duties. He said the ulema (clerics) should also condemn the sectarian killings to stop violence.