KARACHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif are in Karachi today to sort out the issue of the Rangers’ deployment in the provincial capital city as the term of the paramilitary force’s operation expired two days earlier.
The law and order situation of Karachi as well as the rest of Sindh also came under discussion.
While chairing a high-level meeting at Governor House, Nawaz Sharif said, “There will be no compromise on the law and order situation of Karachi.”
The meeting was attended by General Raheel Sharif, Corps Commmander Karachi Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar, Director General Rangers Sindh Major General Bilal Akbar, Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah, Federal Interior Minister Sindh Chaudhry Nisar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Inspector General Sindh Ghulam Haider Jamali, Commissioner Karachi Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Provincial Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Home Minister Suhail Anwar Siyal and Home Secretary Sindh.
“The Karachi operation should have been initiated eight years ago,” the premier said during the meeting, adding that the decision to undertake the operation was made with consensus. “The federal government fully supports the Sindh government for peace in Karachi.”
“The targets of the Karachi operation are very clear,” he said.
The premier said business activities have picked up after an improvement in law and order and that foreign investment is being redirected to the country from abroad.
The PM expressed his disappointment on weak prosecution and investigation procedures that are being implemented in Karachi.
Nawaz Sharif earlier met with Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah at Governor House.
Sindh Police Insepector General (IG) Ghulam Haider Jamali said that there are 2,688 cases under way at Karachi ATCs.
“There were 66 cases handled during the month of November,” he said.
Out of these, 30 cases resulted in convictions while the remaining resulted in aquittals, he added.
“Assailants involved in the attacks on Rangers and the Military Police personnel have been caught,” he stated.
Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah also said on the occasion that the security operation in Karachi will continue till the elimination of the last terrorist in the metropolis.
In order to expedite the process of prosecution, 200 prosecutors have been appointed, he said.
“The Sindh Police should be given access to APCs, additional arms and the NADRA database in order to effectively manage the city,” Nisar further recommended. He said an additional 30 ATCs are under construction.
Ths Sindh CM also recommended that the apex committee should be summoned as often as possible.
“The Karachi operation seems to be lacking the amount of support it initially witnessed when the operation commenced,” said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar.
He further recommended that all prosecutions be monitored by the apex committee.
Nisar also commended the security personnel for their efforts, and stated, “Security personnel deployed in Karachi have made outstanding sacrifices for the Karachi operation.”