Agencies must adhere to terms of Karachi operation: Khuhro
HYDERABAD: Sindh Senior Minister for Education Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has said that the security agencies engaged in the Karachi operation against terrorists and criminals must adhere to its terms of reference under which seeking prior permission for coercive action from the province’s chief executive is mandatory.
Speaking at a news conference at the residence of Pervez Ansari, a local Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader here on Wednesday, he said: “The chief executive’s permission which is indeed essential must be obtained. The agencies should refrain from overstepping their authority,” he said when he was asked a question about the Rangers treatment to politicians with reference to the terror financing charges against former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain.
Chief minister’s political consultant Abdul Jabbar Khan, PPP Hyderabad district president Zahid Bhurgari, Fayyaz Shah and others party activists were also present at the news conference.
Mr Khuhro spelled out the goals of the Karachi operation and said it was aimed against terrorism, targeted killings, extortion and kidnapping for ransom and terrorism included terror financing. He said Dr Asim had been kept in detention by Rangers for 90 days and nothing tangible emerged and this made people think there was much ado about nothing. “And then remand for more days was sought, so we may ask that why further investigation is needed if nothing against him emerged in the 90-day remand. The case is now in court,” he said.
LGs’ authority
The minister did not rule out amending the Sindh Local Government Act (SLGO), 2013 as far as the question of powers for the elected houses was concerned. The law had important inputs from the SLGO, 1979 and SLGO 2001, he recalled, and said that a law was later thrust upon provinces under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) by the Centre retraining provinces from any amendment to the Act. Then it was repealed in 2009. “Now the elected councils had certain powers. We can discuss their powers and make necessary amendments accordingly,” he said.
The senior PPP leader lashed out at critics of the previous local government elections and remarked: “They are always happy with the polls held under dictators.”
Naming former chief ministers Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Liaquat Jatoi, Mr Khuhro said they remained silent when in 2005 provincial ministers boasted of forming governments at the Centre, provinces and districts because they were sitting in dictators’ lap. “Now they are not comfortable with the LG poll on a party basis, he added.
The minister also described PPP’s defeat in Badin and Islamabad as unimportant, saying that if Dr Zulfikar Mirza had won a municipal committee and PPP could not win a seat in Islamabad it did not matter. He argued: “The PPP didn’t win a single National Assembly seat in Punjab in 1997, whereas in the local government elections, Unnars had emerged victorious in Larkana and Rahus in Badin. However, we have won 22 out of 29 districts today,” he said.
Mr Khuhro said that in the fourth phase of the LG polls, polling in Sanghar and 81 councils would be held and the local governments would start working by February next year.
Zarb-i-Azb
The senior politician regretted that in the run-up to the LG elections some tragic incidents like the killing of two soldiers in Karachi on Tuesday took place. “Some forces do not like Zarb-i-Azb but political parties and elected governments are quite clear in their stance that terrorism has to be eliminated. “Pakistan’s future lies in democracy and it must not be derailed. It’s democracy that will build the country and, therefore, we seek to strengthen democratic institutions.”
About Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s demand of carving out another province from within Sindh, Mr Khuhro reminded the MQM that it was a signatory to the resolution unanimously adopted in the Sindh Assembly and calling for Sindh’s integrity. “If the MQM is backing out, then people themselves will see to it.”
When the minister’s attention was drawn to a protest by teachers and students of the Govt Naval Rai School over alleged immoral activities in the institution, he held out the assurance that action would be taken against those found responsible for such acts.
Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2015