The federal cabinet on Wednesday endorsed the Sindh government’s decision to go for a targeted operation in nine highlighted areas of Karachi, saying the federal government would extend all possible support to the provincial government for the restoration of peace in Karachi.
Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan told a press conference that the federal government could not unilaterally call the army in Karachi, as law and order was a provincial subject. Briefing reporters on the decisions made by the federal cabinet, she said the government was striving for a political solution to the Karachi unrest, as army actions in Karachi in the past could not achieve the desired results.
She said a military operation in Karachi was a temporary solution and the government was trying to find a permanent, political solution to the issue. The minister said the Sindh government had decided to utilise the services of the Pakistan Rangers, police and other civil law enforcement agencies to launch targeted operation in nine selected areas of Karachi. The minister said these marked areas did not belong to any specific political party, “rather these pockets were being controlled by various stakeholders.”
“It is a policy of the PPP government to conduct indiscriminate operation and terrorist, whichever political party they belong to, will not be spared,” she added. To a question, she said the Pakistan Army was an important national institution that always came to help the civil administration when asked. The army played its role in floods and the fight against terrorism, she said, adding that the federal government would provide all possible support to the provincial government whenever it was needed.
Firdous said it was the right of the MQM to decide whether or not to rejoin the government. “Our doors are open for the MQM,” she added. While chairing the cabinet meeting earlier, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said nine areas in Karachi had been identified by the Sindh government for action against target killers. “We had no option except to take action to eliminate gangsters and target killers in Karachi. Action will be taken across the board, as we are only concerned with the wellbeing of Pakistan. A handful of people cannot be allowed to take the country hostage,” the prime minister said.
He appealed to clerics and religious scholars to offer special prayers for peace and stability in Karachi and for the whole country in general. He also took the cabinet into confidence over the steps being taken by the government to end load shedding in the country. Gilani directed the finance minister to chalk out an out-of-the-box solution to end load shedding at the earliest, so that people should heave a sigh of relief.
The cabinet also gave approval to the financial document for a 425 Megawatt power project at Chechoo Ki Malian (525 MW) and Nandi Pur, urging the projects be completed in time to off-set the effects of load shedding. The cabinet considered and directed the Ministry of Religious Affairs to revisit the draft bill for regulating the business of Haj, Umra and Ziarat tour operators in Pakistan and also incorporate the points in the bill raised by cabinet members.
The cabinet considered and gave its approval for the confirmation of the decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) in its meeting held on August 16, 2011. It decided to form a committee consisting of ministers of petroleum, financer and industry to resolve issues regarding OGRA. The cabinet approved entering into formal negotiations on air services agreement between Pakistan and Latvia and accorded approval to Pak-French joint declaration on economic partnership.
The cabinet approved the amendment and signing of protocol to the agreement between the governments of Pakistan and Brunei Darussalam to avoid double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to income tax. The meeting reviewed the implementation status of cabinet decisions pertaining to overseas Pakistani, railways, religious affairs and revenue divisions. The cabinet expressed satisfaction over the issuance of a notification by the FBR amending second schedule of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001.
