Naseerullah Babar not ready for a job
April 15, 2008
ISLAMABAD: Former interior minister Naseerullah Babar has said the law and order in Karachi and other parts of the country, particularly those in Sindh, is not worse than the 1994-95 scenario.
Babar, who had supervised the 1994 police operation in Karachi, attributed the prevailing law and order situation to what he described Pervez Musharraf’s bad intentions in delaying transfer of power to political parties at the Centre and in provinces. In an exclusive chat with The News, Gen Babar expressed his complete disassociation with the government affairs. Owing to attaining the age of over 80 years he is passing a life of a retired military official turned politician.
“I would not like to impose myself as an adviser after I quit politics,” he responded when asked as to whether he would be on some special assignment in the PPP-led government. Babar, who served as interior minister under slain Benazir Bhutto in the 1994-96 PPP rule, declined to comment on the question whether he believes there are heaps of arms in Karachi and all collected in the last eight to nine years.
“I do not have first-hand information, and if there are media reports, the media is equally responsible for not exposing these elements well in time,” he said.The political parties, he said, are more mature than 14 years back and the present law and order scenario is mainly due to delaying tactics of Pervez Musharraf in handing over the rule to the political parties.
The media’s role, the former general believes, would be highly important in maintaining law and order in Karachi and adjoining areas where tension prevails.At the same time, the government should also be prepared to take responsibility if action is required in any part of the country. “You will have to act responsibly with planning and coordination.”
“Itís Musharraf’s drama as he took nearly two months to hand over rule to the new government and even the provincial set-ups are still in the process to start functioning,” was his response when asked to comment about the present law and order scenario.
He elaborated that had Musharraf transferred power to the majority political parties shortly after the Feb 18 general election the law and order situation would not have emerged in the existing way. “Musharraf’s intentions are dangerous for the political process.”
Babar expressed his full confidence in Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman A Malik and newly appointed Inspector General Police Sindh Dr Shoaib Suddle as both worked under him in the 1994-95 operations in Karachi.
Asked about MQM’s objection to IGP Sindh, Babar said Suddle is a man of reputation, an upright and honest officer.“Suddle would need to set in place all of the police officers in Sindh prior to dealing with the culprits.”
Dr Suddle, he said, would never commit excesses with any of the political party or a person while he is holding the position as IGP Sindh. “And I think he, being a bold and honest police officer, will take time to organise the police force for a proper action against the real culprits.”
“Definitely, they, Rehman Malik and Suddle, have abilities to meet any challenging task and offering comment when they are on assignment would not be fair,” he said when asked about his expectation from new law and order managers.
Talking about the martyrdom of lawyers in Karachi and burning of public property in Multan by a mob, Babar said the law enforcers would have to take on these elements but not through overnight steps.The government, he said, needs to take long-term measures rather than going for short-term ones to improve the situation.
Babar, who had supervised the 1994 police operation in Karachi, attributed the prevailing law and order situation to what he described Pervez Musharraf’s bad intentions in delaying transfer of power to political parties at the Centre and in provinces. In an exclusive chat with The News, Gen Babar expressed his complete disassociation with the government affairs. Owing to attaining the age of over 80 years he is passing a life of a retired military official turned politician.
“I would not like to impose myself as an adviser after I quit politics,” he responded when asked as to whether he would be on some special assignment in the PPP-led government. Babar, who served as interior minister under slain Benazir Bhutto in the 1994-96 PPP rule, declined to comment on the question whether he believes there are heaps of arms in Karachi and all collected in the last eight to nine years.
“I do not have first-hand information, and if there are media reports, the media is equally responsible for not exposing these elements well in time,” he said.The political parties, he said, are more mature than 14 years back and the present law and order scenario is mainly due to delaying tactics of Pervez Musharraf in handing over the rule to the political parties.
The media’s role, the former general believes, would be highly important in maintaining law and order in Karachi and adjoining areas where tension prevails.At the same time, the government should also be prepared to take responsibility if action is required in any part of the country. “You will have to act responsibly with planning and coordination.”
“Itís Musharraf’s drama as he took nearly two months to hand over rule to the new government and even the provincial set-ups are still in the process to start functioning,” was his response when asked to comment about the present law and order scenario.
He elaborated that had Musharraf transferred power to the majority political parties shortly after the Feb 18 general election the law and order situation would not have emerged in the existing way. “Musharraf’s intentions are dangerous for the political process.”
Babar expressed his full confidence in Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman A Malik and newly appointed Inspector General Police Sindh Dr Shoaib Suddle as both worked under him in the 1994-95 operations in Karachi.
Asked about MQM’s objection to IGP Sindh, Babar said Suddle is a man of reputation, an upright and honest officer.“Suddle would need to set in place all of the police officers in Sindh prior to dealing with the culprits.”
Dr Suddle, he said, would never commit excesses with any of the political party or a person while he is holding the position as IGP Sindh. “And I think he, being a bold and honest police officer, will take time to organise the police force for a proper action against the real culprits.”
“Definitely, they, Rehman Malik and Suddle, have abilities to meet any challenging task and offering comment when they are on assignment would not be fair,” he said when asked about his expectation from new law and order managers.
Talking about the martyrdom of lawyers in Karachi and burning of public property in Multan by a mob, Babar said the law enforcers would have to take on these elements but not through overnight steps.The government, he said, needs to take long-term measures rather than going for short-term ones to improve the situation.
