Sindh to make fresh anti-terror plan with new military leadership

The Sindh chief minister said on Sunday that as the military leadership in the province had changed with the new corps commander and Rangers DG taking over, a new strategy would be adopted to continue the crackdown on terrorism.

He added that a meeting of the apex committee would be convened in the first week of January.

“The continuity of the implementation of the National Action Plan is very important to eliminate terrorists from our homeland,” Syed Murad Ali Shah told reporters after offering fateha and laying a floral wreath at the Mazar-e-Quaid on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the founder of the country Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He was accompanied by his cabinet members and senior officers.

Replying to a question, he said it was not within his jurisdiction to hand over powers to Karachi mayor and that fell in the domain of the provincial assembly. “This isn’t a dispute of power, but we [the chief minister and the mayor] are working together for the people of Karachi,” he added. “I will support the mayor whenever he needs it.”

Dr Asim, Anwar Majeed

To a question, the chief minister said Dr Asim Hussain had been granted bail in a terrorism-related case. He added that the former federal minister was facing some other cases and it was not reasonable to discuss these issues as the matter was subjudice.

Shah said the issue of the raids at the offices of Anwar Majeed, a friend of Pakistan People’s Party co-chairperson and former president Asif Ali Zaradri, was being looked into as per law.

To a query about the provincial police chief’s absence, the chief minister pointed out that the country was being run without foreign minister, but he was being asked about the Sindh IGP who was on a leave.

“To avail leave is the right of any officer and the IGP has also availed this facility,” he added.

Four demands

The chief minister urged the prime minister to accept the four demands of the PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

“His demands are constitutional and should be accepted.”

Talking about the return of PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari to the country, the chief minister said the party’s opponents were upset over this development.

“When Mr Zardari took over as the president, the country was passing through a very difficult phase. He not only steered the country out of the difficulties it was facing but also strengthened democracy and introduced the 18the Constitutional Amendment under which provincial governments became stronger.”

Bilawal, Zardari visits

Later, the chief minister visited the Mazar-e-Quaid twice, first with PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and later with Zardari.

The CM and Bilawal also visited the St Patrick’s Church in Saddar to participate in Christmas celebrations. Shah  and Zardari visited the shrine of Sufi saint Abdullah Shah Ghazi where the project director briefed the former president about the shrine’s development project. Zardari directed the project’s engineer to install escalators along the staircase. “This is very important because the people who can’t climb the stairs must be facilitated to reach the shrine,” Zardari noted.