President Asif Ali Zardari has said that if three political parties – the PPP, MQM and the ANP – join hands in Karachi, there was no reason why they could not confront and defeat the meance of lawlessness and targeted killings in the metropolis.
Chairing a meeting of the allied parties that was held at Bilawal House, Karachi, on Monday, Zardari also directed for setting up a committee comprising of representatives of the PPP, ANP and MQM to have constant liaison with the Sindh home minister and chief minister to remove any misgiving about the operation against the law breakers, extortionists and the target killers in the metropolis.
Those who were present in the meeting included Dr Isharatul Ibad Khan, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Dr Farooq Sattar, Babar Ghouri, Raza Haroon, Adil Siddiqui, Waseem Aftab, Saghir Ahmed, Senator Shahi Syed, Ajab Khan, Sultan Mandokhel, Rana Gul Afridi, Murad Altaf and Riaz Gul.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wasan, Agha Siraj Durrani, Murad Ali Shah, Ayaz Soomro, Rafiq Engineer and president’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar were also present.
Briefing reporters about the meeting, Farhatullah Babar said the meeting reviewed law and order in Karachi and various steps taken so far to restore order to the city. The president emphasised that it was a shared responsibility of all political parties to help restore complete order in the metropolitan city and to bring culprits to the book.
The president also directed for all steps to be taken to protect the life and property of the citizens and strict action taken against violators of law and order. Zardari said he had knowledge of every single event happening in Lyari, a stronghold of the PPP. He said criminals in the metropolis should be identified and indiscriminate action should be taken against them.
ANP Sindh President Shahi Syed told reporters that the meeting discussed exclusively the Karachi situation. He said peace could not be established in the city until fresh constituencies were made on the basis of new census.
PPP, MQM and ANP unity can bring peace to Karachi: president
