Meetings not bringing improvement in Karachi situation

KARACHI: The host of the Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’, while analysing the situation on Tuesday, said political and military leadership held meetings to end the uncertainty. However, there is no visible improvement even after these meetings.
But the statements of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) issued on Tuesday are different from those issued on Monday. The statement Khursheed Shah issued on Tuesday is giving the impression that the PPP has stepped back from its former stance. There is also an impression that the PPP is not angry with the prime minister but someone else, Shahzeb Khanzada analysed.
He said one promise Nawaz Sharif has made has not been materialised in the two years. It is that the government has changed none of the heads of important institutions nor made any appointments. There were, however, some appointments but they were made on the orders of the Supreme Court, which had ordered the federal government in November last year to appoint heads of all government and semi-government institutions forthwith, but none of them were made even after the passage of nine months.
Shahzeb Khanzada pointed out 17 federal institutions are working without their chiefs. However, the summary for the appointment of eight institution heads has been forwarded to the prime minister, but has not yet been signed.
Shahzeb Khanzada said the institutions working without a head are Oil and Gas Development Corporation Limited, Civil Aviation Authority, Pemra, Pakistan Re-insurance Company, National Fertiliser Corporation, National Education Foundation, Pakistan Council of Research and Water Resources. He added that heads of these institutions have not been appointed despite orders of the Supreme Court. The PPP has no objection to the ongoing Operation against corruption, said party leader and Sindh Information Minister Nisar Khuhro, while speaking in the programme.
Khuhro said the confidence staggers when a person is arrested and labelled as engaged in terror financing without declared by the court.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah also said that the FIA and NAB may conduct operation against corruption but the law-enforcing institutions should not be used in the process. In case there were references against Dr Asim Hussain then it was NAB that should have taken action. But it was not a proper manner that he was taken away by plain-clothed men. He said the operation in Karachi is being carried out on the order of the Sindh government. The Corps Commander Karachi had met Sindh chief minister in the capacity of a member of the Apex Committee. Rana said it was a scheduled appointment and they discussed fulfilment of the orders of the Apex Committee. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar had promised that all steps would be taken after taking the Sindh chief minister into confidence but, Nisar Khuhro said, the rule had not been followed. We are not satisfied with the reply of the government and why the interior minister has no reply and why there are no answers so far to a number of questions, Nisar Khuhro stated.
No particular change is visible in the situation after meetings of the political and military leadership, said senior journalist Hamid Mir.
The deadlock between Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif exists, although Nawaz Sharif is attempting to minimise tensions. It is important for Nawaz Sharif to maintain balance. However, there is no change as yet in the stance of the PPP. Nawaz Sharif, on the other hand, has raised a white peace flag, in an effort to increase friendship and develop mutual understanding.
Ikramul Haq of the Competition Commission of Pakistan said the Commission is an institution to end cartelisation. He said the private schools have been asked to give reasons for enhancing the tuition fee every year.
It would be seen after viewing the reasons submitted by the schools whether they are increasing the fee jointly or every school is doing it independently. Ikramul Haq said it often happens that parents find it difficult to shift their children from one school to another; therefore, they prefer to pay the increased fee. There is another reason that parents do not want to shift their children to school of lower standard.
Ikramul Haq observed that the schoolteachers go to teach at coaching centres, which indicate that the standard of educational service is lowering. He said the CCP will see to it if the students make any gains from the increase in the tuition fee.