Police told to intensify operation against terrorists

Condemning the armed attack on Mufti Taqi Usmani’s car in Karachi on Friday, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday vowed to destroy the unscrupulous elements that were trying to destroy peace in the city.

“We will destroy them and their nefarious designs with an iron fist,” the CM said. He maintained that peace in Karachi was restored due to many sacrifices rendered by people of the city and law enforcement agencies’ personnel. “We will not allow anybody to destroy this peace,” he said, directing the police and Rangers to intensify targeted operations in the city.

According to a statement issued by the CM House, Shah took serious notice of the two firing incidents in the city which claimed innocent lives, including that of a policeman. He expressed condolences with the bereaved families and assured them that the killers of their dear ones would be brought to book.

The CM talked to the inspector general of police Sindh and the additional IG Karachi, and directed them to improve the overall law and order situation in the city and arrest the killers and their mentors.

The peaceful holding of PSL and flourishing of trade, commerce, social and educational activities in the city were not acceptable to the enemies of Karachi and Pakistan, Shah said. “We are going to launch vigorous targeted operation against terrorists, outlaws and drug mafia,” he announced.

The CM also directed the Special Branch and Counter-Terrorism Department to investigate the attack and identify groups trying to disrupt peace. To tackle terrorism in the country, the Sindh government also recently demanded the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) in letter and spirit.

Addressing a news conference on last Monday, the CM had reiterated the stance of the Pakistan Peoples Party leadership, particularly Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, regarding the need for implementing NAP.

“We have to identify and ward the people off who are in hand in glove with the terrorists,” Shah said, adding that the country had lost 70,000 innocent lives in terrorist incidents.

NAP should be implemented as Pakistan continues to be affected by terrorism, the CM remarked. Stating the provincial government’s policy on terrorist outfits, the CM said there was zero tolerance for terrorists as far as the Sindh government was concerned. He maintained that the recent increase in target killings in the city was a result of MQM-London stepping up its terrorist activities. “Our police and Rangers busted their gang,” he said.

Mayor condemns attack

Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar also condemned the attempt to assassinate the religious scholar.

He said Mufti Taqi Usmani was a great religious scholar of the country and the armed attack on him should be strongly deplored.

Calling the attack, a terrorist act that meant to create chaos in the city, Akhtar said it was carried out on the orders of anti-Pakistan elements that were unhappy with the fact that trade activities were flourishing in Karachi. The law enforcement agencies should take stern steps to combat the acts of terrorism in the city, the mayor said.