Sindh Minister for Prisons, Enquires and Anti-Corruption, and Mines and Minerals Manzoor Hussain Wassan has said that the intelligence establishment had never fully provided an opportunity to political forces to grow and play their due role in running the affairs of the state.
He said this resulted in major problems including terrorism, ethnic divide and sectarian conflicts.
This he said while talking to a group of reporters at his office on Monday.
Wassan, during the press briefing, categorically said that the Kutchi and Baloch communities living in Lyari were people of this very soil and had always made efforts to maintain peace in their surroundings. He said that these communities were loyal Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) voters and supporters, as Lyari was the fort of the PPP. We would take all necessary steps in order to restore peace in Lyari. He further said that the Sindh government was functioning under the able leadership of Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah.
Replying to a query, the minister said that there was no militant wing in the PPP, while adding that their leaders Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benzair Bhutto had sacrificed their lives but did not bow before terrorists and dictators. Talking about the top priorities of the present government, he said the present setup was committed to ensure good governance, quality education and improved healthcare facilities to the people of the province.
Furthermore, the minister was of the view that land grabbing and ‘bhatta’ mafia and extremists were behind the deteriorating law and order situation of the provincial metropolis. It is the collective responsibility of the provincial, as well as federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies, to take drastic action against criminals without paying heed to political affiliations of such groups. Lauding the role of the Sindh Police, Wassan said that police personnel have made remarkable sacrifices while performing their duties in the metropolis. Moreover, he said that the government wanted peace and stability in Sindh, particularly in Karachi. He appealed to all peace loving people to come forward and join hands with the government to eliminate anti-state elements that were playing with the lives of innocent citizens.
Replying to another question, Wassan made it clear that the PPP was still the largest party of the country. He said that it was a historical fact that the credit for completing five year tenure of democratic governance and holding election went to the PPP. We ensured a smooth transfer of power from one democratic government to another for the first in the history of the country.
