KARACHI: Sindh Home Minister Dr Zufiqar Mirza is optimistic that the 10th of Muharram would pass peacefully this year, as the provincial government has made foolproof security arrangements.
He informed this to a delegation of the Awami National Party (ANP), which called on Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah at the Chief Minister’s House on Saturday. The Awami National Party delegation discussed different issues including working relationships among coalition partners and the law and order in Karachi during Muharram.
An official handout stated that Awami National Party leader Shahi Syed expressed his satisfaction over the security steps taken by Sindh government to maintain peace during Muharram, and assured the government about his party’s support in this regard.
At the same time, Syed urged upon all political parties especially coalition partners for playing their role in maintaining peace in the city. The participants of the meeting also emphasised upon the need of promoting religious harmony.
However, Talking to Pakistan Today, Shahi Syed said he had gone to the chief minister’s House to complain about the arrest of Pakhtuns in the city. He told the chief minister and the home minister that around 1,500 to 2,000 persons were arrested from different Pakhtun-majority localities in the city.
They were later released but faced humiliation at the hands of the law enforcement agencies, he told them. He said that he would have no objections if criminals were being arrested but innocent people should not be humiliated on account of so-called operations.
