terrorism, target killing, kidnapping for ransom and extortion,” he said.
Talking about the actions taken against criminals and terrorists in Karachi, the chief minister said the sacrifices of Rangers and police personnel cannot be forgotten. “They have delivered under serious leadership of the army chief Raheel Sharif,” he said. “The army chief’s utmost personal interest in the matter is the reason for the positive and encouraging result, otherwise the Rangers have been present in Karachi and Sindh for many years.”
Referring to his remarks a day earlier about the FIA and NAB infringing upon the province’s domain, the chief minister said he had talked to federal interior minister Chaudhry Nisar on the telephone and had apprised him of all his reservations.
“He quite a capable and sensible statesman, and we had a candid conversation about our concerns,” he said.
Cheque distribution
Earlier, the chief minister in a modest ceremony distributed compensation cheques worth Rs500,000 to the family of each of the 45 people martyred in the Safoora Goth tragedy.
He also awarded cheques worth Rs200,000 to six survivors in the grisly attack. At the ceremony, leaders of the Ismaili community welcomed the chief minister and thanked him for his personal interest which helped catch the culprits only within a few days after the attack.
They also thanked the chief minister for constructing the five-kilometre-long stretch of road leading to Al-Azhar Garden. They also urged the chief minister to expedite the construction of another link road connecting the locality to Malir Cantt to which Qaim gave his approval.
The chief minister commended the Sindh Police on their hard work on catching the culprits. “My police force is efficient and hardworking,” he said. “They not only detected the case but made important arrests for which I also granted them cash prizes.”
He said he was a worker of the people and would always be available to them. "I can’t compensate for the loss of your loved ones. Life precious and it cannot be weighed in a handful of coins, but I have brought this amount as an aid to help you stand on your feet,” he said.