Karachi unrest keeps MQM from rejoining government

As the new power-sharing deal between the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led coalition and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) stalled amid continuing violence in Karachi that claimed the lives of five policemen in a brazen show of force by gangsters and drew calls for army deployment in the embattled city from the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Friday, MQM chief Altaf Hussain raised questions about the government’s sincerity, saying government agencies had implicated the MQM and its leadership in the Karachi violence in reports to British authorities.
Hussain told President Asif Ali Zardari that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB), which directly work under the federal government, had submitted reports to the British authorities implicating the MQM and its leadership in the turmoil in the provincial capital. A source told Pakistan Today that the president phoned Altaf Hussain to discuss his protest over what he called a “conspiracy” being hatched by the civilian institutions against his party, alleging that the FIA and IB were involved in providing false, negative and frivolous propaganda reports against the MQM to the British government.
The source said the president expressed his ignorance of Hussain’s allegations and said he would order an investigation into the matter and make sure that no such thing happened in future.
COMMITTEE: Meanwhile, in a meeting on Friday, President Zardari formed another committee comprising top provincial government functionaries to control the law and order situation in Karachi. The committee includes Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Home Minister Manzoor Hussain Wassan. They have been asked to ensure that the law enforcement agencies act in time to arrest the miscreants and criminals responsible for violence in the city. A source said the committee had been told to remain in constant touch with one another and keep the Presidency informed about the situation in Karachi. The source said the meeting also decided to continue working on a joint proposal for a consensus local government law that could ensure that the concerns of both political parties – the PPP and the MQM – could be addressed.
ZARDARI URGES ALTAF: During the conversation with Hussain, President Zardari urged the MQM chief to join the government, which would help thwart the nefarious designs of criminals who were determined to create an atmosphere of fear in Karachi. However, the source said, the MQM leader said it would be premature to talk about joining the government prior to restoration of peace in Karachi. The source said the meeting decided to put off discussion on the demands made by the MQM for the Home Ministry and Local Government Ministry for its legislators, as the governor said any bargain might backfire since the MQM could not even think of joining the provincial government while its workers were “being slaughtered on the streets of Karachi”.
FLEEING CRIMINALS: Later, an official handout quoted Presidential Spokesman Farhatullah Babar as saying the governor and chief minister had briefed the meeting on the latest situation in the city, with particular reference to the sharp increase in violence and targeted killings. The meeting decided that the Sindh government would approach the government of Balochistan to work out arrangements to allow Sindh Police to pursue gangsters and criminals fleeing from Karachi into Balochistan, besides stepping up surveillance of the routes leading to Karachi to keep an eye on the criminal elements and illegal movement of weapons.
Separately, Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan called on the president at Aiwan-e-Sadr. President Zardari discussed with him the current political situation and coalition matters. A source in the Presidency said the situation in Karachi was on top of the meeting’s agenda.