Nisar hints at ‘indiscriminate operation’ in Karachi

Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan on Monday said an indiscriminate operation would be carried out against criminal elements in Karachi. Talking to reporters after meeting Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Pir Sibghatullah Rashidi on Monday, Nisar said the situation in Karachi cannot be settled in a day or two and the government should move forward to tackle the problems.
“Under the 18th Constitutional Amendment‚ maintaining law and order is a provincial subject‚ however, the federation will extend all possible help to the provincial administration to bring peace to Karachi,” he said.
NO GOVERNOR’S RULE
Nisar rejected media reports about imposition of governor’s rule in Sindh. He said a roadmap will be prepared by taking into confidence all stakeholders for bringing peace in the country’s financial hub.
The interior minister said the masses had given mandate to a single party in the centre and to other parties in the province, and it was a collective responsibility of all parties to focus on the issue and make all possible efforts to resolve the issue once and for all.
Nisar added that Karachi was the lifeline of the national economy and the state could not afford the prevailing lawlessness in the city.
The interior minister was a reminder of former interior minister Rehman Malik, who used to issue similar statements that the Centre would assist the Sindh government to maintain durable peace in the city.
Nisar’s meetings were also akin Malik, his short visit ending with briefings and closed-door party meetings. Earlier, the interior minister held a meeting with the leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Sindh chapter headed by Mohammadmian Soomro, Illahi Bux Soomro, Mumtaz Bhutto, Saleem Zia and Ismail Rahu. The elected MPAs were also present on the occasion.
Sources privy to the meeting told Pakistan Today that the PML-N Sindh leaders briefed the interior minister about the poor governance in the province and failure of the law enforcement agencies in maintaining law and order.
They said the law enforcement agencies had failed to maintain writ in the city and the Sindh government was also not sincere in resolving the law and order issue.
“The extortion mafia has badly affected economic activities in the city, however, the rangers and police, who do strict job for the common man, seem helpless and failed before the terrorists,” a source quoted one of the participants as saying.
In the afternoon, Interior Minister Nisar headed to the Rangers Headquarters where he held a one-on-one meeting with Sindh Rangers Director General Major General Rizwan Akhtar.
In the meeting, sources said the DG informed Nisar about the rangers’ intelligence and operational network, its overall performance, coordination with the local police in maintaining law and order and its support to the Sindh government.
Then the interior minister later reached the Chief Minister’s House where he chaired a high-powered meeting on law and order. After the briefing, Nisar went to the Governor’s House and met Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan.
The meeting lasted for more than one-and-a-half hour. Nisar enquired after the health of MQM chief Altaf Hussain and expressed good wishes on behalf of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Both the leaders discussed in detail the law and order of the province, particularly Karachi and resolved that all resources would be utilised to maintain peace in the city.
The interior minister assured that the federal government would provide all out assistance to the Sindh government for maintaining law and order in the province.