Khursheed backs purging Karachi of criminals through army

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah on Wednesday said that he was a supporter of the army operation in Karachi to purge the city of criminals.
He advised the authorities not to push the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) against the wall and said if there was any militant wing in the MQM, the party should disassociate itself from it. He was talking to newsmen at the Parliament House here on Wednesday.
The opposition leader said that the Karachi operation was not being carried out on the basis of anybody’s likes and dislikes. “The same operation was also carried out in Lyari and no one made any hue and cry over it,” he added.
Syed Khursheed Shah said the MQM had itself demanded the operation in Karachi through the army as it viewed that the police in Sindh were politicised.The opposition leader said that everyone had to follow the law, be it Syed Khursheed Shah or Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
In reply to a question regarding the agreement between the government and PTI on the Judicial Commission to probe the allegations of rigging in the general elections, the opposition leader said that the ordinance on the establishment of Judicial Commission would be issued for at least 120 days and the commission would itself form its Terms of Reference (ToRs).
“It is to be seen now whether the time of 45 days given to the Judicial Commission is sufficient or not to probe the allegations of rigging,” he added.He said despite the promulgation of the ordinance, the Article 225 of the Constitution would remain intact. The opposition leader said if the Judicial Commission proved rigging in the general elections 2013, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would be bound to dissolve the assemblies.Syed Khursheed Shah said that once the ordinance was promulgated, the PTI would return to the assemblies.