ISLAMABAD:-
The National Assembly on Friday unanimously adopted a motion to form an all-party House committee to review law and order situation in Karachi and Balochistan.
The committee members would visit Karachi and Quetta to review the causes of unrest there and would present their report to the speaker in two months. The motion for the committee, which will have representation from all parties in the assembly, was moved by Sheikh Aftab Ahmad of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N).
Earlier, while commenting on the motion, JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman proposed that parliamentary leaders of all political parties should directly interact with people in Karachi to understand their problems. MQM MNA Haider Abbas Rizvi also stressed that a committee of senior members of all political parties should visit Karachi and meet people belonging to all walks of life. He also sought all resources for the committee to enable its members to come up with meaningful findings.
ANP’s Bushra Gohar, though espoused the committee, however she questioned as to why the exiting Committee on National Security could not be asked for action in this respect. She argued it would be quicker if the Committee on National Security is given this task, but ANP chief whip Khurshid Shah said a separate committee would be more efficient. Engineer Shaukatullah called for a separate committee for Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), and hoped it would improve the situation there.
Interior Minister Rehman expressed his satisfaction over the unanimity of views of the parliamentarians. He requested to have an in-camera session of the House as he intended to reveal some startling facts about unrest in Balochistan, where foreign interference was evident. The minister said proscribed organisations and Taliban had formed a nexus in Balochistan. People belonging to Hazara, Punjab and Pushtun background are being targeted on ethnic and sectarian lines under a well-planned scheme, he added. Referring to the lacunae in the laws, he said the House should approve the Anti-Terrorist Act immediately to award exemplary punishment to the culprits of violence.
However, the minister told the House that due to effective measures taken by the government, incidents of target killings have been controlled to a great extent in Karachi. Winding up the debate, he said that 90 target killers were arrested during this year from different areas of the city. He said that deployment of Rangers as well as intelligence setup has been increased in the provincial metropolis. Moreover, the Frontier Constabulary is also at the disposal of provincial government.
Malik said responsibility rests with the all the political parties to find a permanent political solution of the situation in Karachi. He said the government on its part has set up a Crisis Management Cell to check activities of extortionists. The law enforcers have arrested 56 extortionists from the city, besides 29 organisations involved in illegal activities have been banned to control the sectarianism violence and terrorism. He said that an Anti-Terrorist Cell of FIA has also been shifted to Karachi to identify the hotspots there. Similarly, SUPARCO is providing services for aerial surveillance of the city.
Rehman Malik said that the situation in the tribal areas cannot be disconnected with the prevailing situation in Karachi. NADRA has blocked 20 million unverified SIMs and a decision has been taken to de-weaponise the entire country in phases, he said. In the first phase old arms licences will be replaced with computerised arms licenses, he added.
About Islamabad, the minister said that 11 terrorists planning suicide attacks in different areas of the city including those who wished to attack the father of the president have been arrested. Latter, NA Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza prorogued the 33rd session of the National Assembly
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