All stakeholders taken on board: Qaim

SUKKUR: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Sunday said that the Karachi operation was initiated after consulting all the stakeholder political parties of Sindh. The administrative powers of the DG Rangers and IG Sindh Police had been enhanced for the success of the operation.
He said this while talking to media persons in Khairpur. He said that the operation against criminals, extortionists and terrorists was continuing not only in Karachi but across Sindh. He added that the operation was yielding positive results.
He said that many terrorists had been held as well as many dacoits killed by the police.He said that a large number of criminals had been killed in Lyari by the police and Rangers during the operation. He said that targeted killings, extortion and abduction for ransom and crimes were reduced in Karachi and other districts of the province.
The Shikarpur Imambargah suicide bombing was a major incident in which many Namazis were martyred and injured and some of the injured are under treatment in Karachi. However, he said that it was a notable achievement of the police that the terrorists had been arrested from Balochistan.
He said that the Karachi operation was being appreciated by all the political parties because the unrest in Karachi had badly affected trade and business.He said that the courts had given remand of the alleged terrorists arrested by the Rangers from Nine-Zero and the courts would decide their fate. He said that the PPP’s political support to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) would continue. He said that the allegations levelled by the MQM were being investigated. However, it was the MQM’s desire to launch an Army operation in Karachi, and added that an operation without any political discrimination continued.
He said that the Sindh government was ready for local bodies’ elections and determined to implement the orders of the Supreme Court. He said that the PPP believed in empowering people at the local level and added that his party wanted local bodies’ election on a party basis.
He said that the prime minister had appreciated the steps taken by the Sindh government.He said that Rangers pursuing certain reports had conducted raids. Some opportunists rejected by the masses were talking about governor’s rule in Sindh while there was no such probability in Sindh.
Syed Qaim Ali Shah urged the political parties to exclude criminals from their ranks and said that the Karachi operation would continue till the elimination of targeted killers. He said that the crime rate from Kashmore to Karachi had been reduced.
Meanwhile, the chief minister laid a floral wreath on the tomb of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.Shah said that Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would participate in the death anniversary of ZA Bhutto. Shah condoled with PPP City President in Khairpur Dr Yar Muhammad Phulpoto on the demise of his sister-in-law, while he also condoled with PPP MPA Syed Fazal Shah on the demise of retired major Riaz Hussain Shah in Ranipur.