KARACHI, Dec 27: A multi-party conference held under the auspices of Difa-i-Pakistan Council announced here on Thursday that it would hold a ‘peace march’ from Karachi to Islamabad on Jan 11 for restoring law and order in Karachi since both the federal and Sindh governments had failed to discharge their responsibilities.

The conference, presided over by DPC chairman Maulana Samiul Haq, who is chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, adopted a joint declaration calling upon all patriotic parties to formulate a joint strategy to curb terrorism and restore peace in Karachi. It called for exposing criminals, replacing the law of evidence, setting up Qazi courts and providing speedy justice to the oppressed in accordance with Sharia.

The conference was attended by representatives of 40 parties in the DPC and PML-N, PML-F, NPP, DP, Ghurba Ahle Hadith and JUI-F and members of civil society.

Stressing the need for unity among all parties for peace in Karachi, the meeting decided to contact all other parties outside the DPC and invite them to another conference to be held in Islamabad soon.

The declaration said: “For the sake of peace in Karachi and other parts of Sindh, appointment of an impartial governor is inevitable. A caretaker chief minister should also be appointed for an interim period up to elections with consensus of all parties.”

It said that more than 2,300 people had lost their lives in targeted and sectarian attacks this year in Karachi. The traders’ community is facing extreme hardships because of extortion and kidnappings for ransom.

The declaration alleged that the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, in the name of reconciliation, had given a free hand to killers, extortionists and terrorists.

“Karachi is such an unfortunate city where not only its people but government institutions are also hostage. The ruling party’s coalition partner MQM has set up its offices in public parks and buildings,” it said, adding that people could not cast their votes freely and the Election Commission staffers were also made hostage.

The conference called for the arrest of killers of Mohammad Salahuddin, Hakim Mohammad Said, Azim Tariq, Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai, Maulan Yususf Ludhyanvi, Allama Hasan Turabi and Shahid Hamid. It said the terrorists involved in the May 12 bloodbath of 2007, burning alive of lawyers on April 9, 2008, torching the factory in Baldia and other tragedies should be brought to book.

It said that lawlessness and target killing of Ulema and political leaders in Karachi was a national issue. Over 7,000 people have been killed over the past four years and extortion is at its peak in the city.

The conference said the involvement of Indians and their local agents in the worsening law and order in Karachi could not be ruled out. In this scenario, it said, granting the most favored nation status to India was against Pakistan and its ideology. The country must be freed from US slavery and drone attacks be stopped forthwith, it urged.

Earlier addressing the conference, Maulana Samiul Haq held the PPP, MQM and ANP responsible for lawlessness in Karachi and said that if the three parties sit with the DPC, the problem could be solved.