Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar during his Karachi visi, while holding a joint press conference with Sindh governor Dr Ishrat Ul Ebad, said that ‘no one would be able to take Karachi hostage now’.
While talking about the violence that took place in Karachi two days ago, Nisar said that ‘it was the first time in 25 years that Karachi was not held hostage’.
He went on to congratulate the people of Karachi and In particular the security forces tasked with protecting the city for successfully stopping an attempt to ‘take the city hostage’
Nisar specifically spoke about the Urdu Speaking community saying that ‘although I am Punjabi myself, I can say it with full conviction that the Urdu speaking community of Pakistan has made many great sacrifices for the country. They are patriotic community’.
Speaking about the speech made by Altaf Hussain where he spoke against Pakistan and the armed forces, Nisar said “time and again Karachi had been disturbed due the incitement of an individual that cause great economic loss to the city”.
He said that a case had been registered with the British government against Altaf Hussain and Pakistan has also offered to provide any further that their investigation team may require.
Nisar flew to Karachi earlier in the day on the instructions of PM Nawaz Sharif to hold a high level meeting with Sindh governor Dr Ishrat Ul Ebad aon the security situation of the city.
Nisar vowed that “the metropolis will receive the full support of the federal government in terms of security and intelligence”.
Sind Governor added “strict legal action will be taken against all those who took the law into their hands”.
Nisar visit comes just a day after senior MQM leader, Dr Farooq Sattar in a press conference said that the party should operate from Pakistan now, not London. Sattar accepted that Altaf Hussain’s apologies after giving speeches like the one on Monday and blaming it all on his ‘mental condition’ has become an issue that needs to be addressed now.
Sattar’s press conference had been delayed by a day when on Monday he was taken into custody along with Izhar-ul-Hassan just before they were about to start a media briefing at Karachi press club. The arrest was the result of a violent mob attack on a media house in Saddar Area of the city causing damage to public property. The mob clashed with police resulting in the death of one person and injuries to several others.