Interior Minister Rehman Malik has announced that partial curfew will be imposed in some part of Karachi starting from today (Sunday).
Speaking to the media after a meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Malik also said that pillion riding would be banned in those areas affected by the violence.
Malik did not explain what he meant by “semi-curfew”, but Sindh province home ministry spokesman Sharfuddin Memon told AFP “it is for the authorities to decide for how long they would like a troubled area to remain under curfew.”
“It is responsibility of the federal and provincial governments to protect the people,” Malik said, justifying the decision to impose the partial curfew, without disclosing which areas would be affected.
Malik also said, without elaborating, that there was “a third element trying to deteriorate the situation in Karachi.”
Updated from print version (below)
Karachi killings continue: Violence triggers political turmoil
The reverberations of the continuing violence in Karachi caused a stir across the national political stage on Saturday, with parties calling for a debate on the fresh flaring up of violence in the metropolis.
As the 48-hour death toll in Karachi hit 27, including the killing of a Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader, parties belonging to both the opposition and treasury benches submitted adjournment motions in the parliament to debate the violence.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik, the government’s specialist troubleshooter, also sprung into action and held a number of meetings with different stakeholders, including two with the MQM, after rushing to Karachi.
In the two meetings held at the Sindh Governor House between MQM leaders and Malik, the former complained about the targeting of its activists and leaders.
Disgruntled, the MQM delegation, which included Deputy Convener of the MQM’s central coordination committee Farooq Sattar, is reported to have stressed that promises made to the party by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani only a few days ago during his visit to their headquarters were not being fulfilled. Sources told The Express Tribune that the MQM wanted to meet Gilani once again to remind him of his ‘promises’.
Malik is also said to have called MQM chief Altaf Hussain to assure him that those involved in the killing of party activists would be arrested soon.
“On one hand our workers are being killed, on the other police and law enforcement agencies are arresting our activists,” said a source quoting the discussion that took place at Governor House.
The sources added that the MQM had handed over a list of suspects allegedly involved in the targeted killings as well as areas in which to launch an operation to stop the violence.
The federal interior minister is reported to have said: “We are going to establish permanent Rangers check posts in sensitive areas to deal with the target killing incidents”.
Since Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah was out of the city Senior Minister Pir Mazharul Haq, represented the PPP and assured coalition partners that all issues would be resolved and that even the local bodies system would be restored after consultations with the MQM.
Another meeting is expected today in the Chief Minister House with Qaim’s return to the city.
Parties seek debate
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif on Saturday sought a debate in the National Assembly on the Karachi violence. Stressing that it was the need of the hour, he asked the government to convene a session and also called for action against those responsible for the killings.
Meanwhile, the Awami National Party, which is a coalition partner of the PPP, submitted an adjournment motion in the Senate to debate the Karachi killings. Party senators Azim Khan and Afrasiab Khattak filed the motion in the Senate secretariat, while Jamaat-e-Islami’s legislators in the upper house of parliament also filed separate adjournment motions to discuss the issue in the next session.
Similarly, Amir Muqam of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) filed an adjournment motion in the National Assembly secretariat to hold debate on the subject.
Former town naib-nazim killed
The killings continued in Karachi, with the latest victims including the former SITE Town naib-nazim Badshah Khan. He was gunned down while getting into his car outside his house in Orangi Town in the limits of the Mominabad police station. He was hit by four bullets and died on the spot. Fifty-year-old Khan had been affiliated with the MQM since 1993 and won the local bodies election in 2005. His funeral, held at the KMC ground in Baldia Town, was attended by a large number of MQM leaders and workers.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain has condemned the assassination and termed it as an attempt to stir more violence in the city. He said that all political parties in the city needed to exercise restraint and unite against elements conspiring against peace. He made a passionate appeal to the people of Karachi to see through the conspiracy.
Moreover, in a press conference at the Khurshid Begum Memorial Hall, the MQM coordination committee has asked president, prime minister, interior minister as well as the governor and chief minister of Sindh to ensure the arrest of the killers of innocent people, including Badshah Khan.
Member of the MQM Coordination Committee Gulfraz Khan Khattak said that concrete steps need to be taken for the protection of the life and property of the people.
Separately, Ziarat Khan, aged 35, was shot dead outside his home in Surjani police limits. Three people were hurt in firing in Gulistan-e-Jauhar and one in Baldia town.
Saeed, who was said to be a member of Sunni Tehreek, was killed and at least five people injured in a firing incident in Ranchore Lane late Saturday night. In the Mominabad police limits, two PPP activists, Zubair Kala and Tahir Baloch, were gunned down in firing near Urdu Chowk.
Police claims arrests
Capital City Police Officer Karachi Fayyaz Leghari while talking to The Express Tribune said that around 4,000 police personnel have been deployed across the city, adding that the situation on Saturday was much better due to the security measures.
He also claimed to have made major arrests in connection with the violence.
“We are conducting raids in parts of the city and the raids will continue where necessary,” the city police chief said. He further said that six arrested persons were involved in firing on a passenger bus, an attack on an ANP leader, the killing of a journalist and various other incidents of targeted killing.
ANP blames Malik, Mirza
Awami National Party (ANP) Sindh chapter chief Shahi Syed holds Interior Minister Rehman Malik, and Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza responsible for the targeted killings in the city.
Talking to The Express Tribune Syed said that, “governments are responsible for the targeted killings in the city; when there was target killing during Pervez Musharraf’s regime, we held him responsible and protested against him – and now the present government is responsible. Syed added that the intelligence agencies of the country are under Rehman Malik and the Sindh security is with Zulfiqar Mirza, so both are responsible for the situation.
Syed said that inquiries should be conducted into the killings of party workers – even if it means starting from the killing of MQM activists.
When asked about the main reason behind the target killings in the city, Syed answered, “Reconciliation is the main reason behind the target killings, which is another word for ‘begharti’ (unscrupulousness)”.
Meanwhile, the interior minister during a meeting with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman asked him to play his role in stopping the violence in the metropolis.
The interior minister also discussed the prospects of JUI-F’s rejoining the government as a coalition partner. A JUI-F legislator said his party chief has declined to join the government, but expressed readiness to play a role in bringing peace in Karachi.
Tags: Ali Shah, Central Coordination Committee, Curfew, Deputy Convener, Farooq Sattar, Home Ministry, Interior Minister, KARACHI, Massive Killing, Ministry Spokesman, Movement Leader, Mqm Leaders, MQM-A & ANP, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, National Political Stage, Partial Curfew, Partial curfew to be clamped in parts of Karachi, Partial Curfew To be Imposed in Karachi, Political Turmoil, Ppp, Provincial Governments, Rehman Malik, Reverberations, S Central, Shah Malik, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, target, target killings
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