Karachi is all set to have a garrison look as President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday took a strong exception to incidents of targeted killings, extortions and street crimes in the violence-hit commercial hub of the country.
Almost every day of the last week saw the city witnessing cold-blooded killings and socio-economic life coming to a grinding halt with over 50 people falling prey to politically-motivated targeted killings, dozens of vehicles being set on fire and trade and business incurring incalculable losses during the weeklong violence.
Monday being no exception saw the targeted killing of a PPP office bearer in the gang-war-fame Lyari neighbourhood, one of the city’s most volatile localities.
Chairing a high-level meeting of officials from the government and law enforcement agencies at Bilawal House, President Zardari ordered the security personnel to deal with the criminals with zero tolerance.
The president said the city of 180 million had badly been plagued by the menace of extortion and other street crimes with the life and properties of common man paralysed the most.
The president directed the concerned quarters to equip the police with aerial patrolling equipment as well as heavy-duty armoured personnel carriers (APCs).
The law enforcers would also be doing the “geo fencing” of various city neighbourhoods infected the most.
Among others, the meeting was attended by Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Home Minister Manzoor Wassan, Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Law Minister Muhammad Ayaz Soomro, Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani, the Sindh IGP, Pakistan Rangers Sindh DG, IB DG and other senior federal and provincial government officials.
Meanwhile, the interior minister, who arrived on Saturday, called upon the media not to sensationalize the news regarding violence.
In a talk on Monday, the PPP’s major troubleshooter in Karachi, said the media should avoid spreading sensation by, what he termed it, the misreporting of facts regarding law and order in Karachi.
He claimed that there was no incident of targeted killing on Sunday, but he saw some of the newspapers reporting the killing of six people in targeted killing.
The interior minister claimed that those reported to have fallen prey to politically-motivated killings had died naturally or were shot dead out of personal enmities or accidents.
Karachi violence finally gets president’s attention
