Govts cancellation of APC: credit goes to MQM?
KARACHI - The All Parties Conference (APC) on targeted killings in Karachi, which was supposed to be held on Friday, was cancelled allegedly due to pressure from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Today has learnt.
Sources in the Sindh government claimed that MQM-backed Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan had personally contacted the President House for cancelling the meeting, following which Chief Minister (CM) Syed Qaim Ali Shah ordered making the cancellation announcement.
Sources also claimed that the ongoing operations against target killers is eyewash and that Interior Minister Rehman Malik, despite the reservations of senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)s Sindh leadership, had himself supervised the entire operation of the law enforcement agencies.
They are just trying to bring the MQM back to the government coalition, which is why no action has been taken in those areas that are notorious for illegal weapons and miscreants. Korangi, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, Orangi Town, Burns Road, North Karachi, Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Gulshan-e-Iqbal were hit worst by targeted killings, but no operation took place in those areas because the PPP government does not want to annoy the MQM, the sources added.
Some officials in the provincial government believe that the MQM urged cancelling the APC because the party did not want all political, religious and nationalist parties to hold it responsible for the violence in city.
On the directives of the CM, his media adviser, Waqar Mehdi, had announced on Thursday that the APC would be held at the Chief Ministers House on Friday. The committee, including PPP Sindh General Secretary Taj Haider and Sindh cabinet members Ayaz Soomro, Muzaffar Shajra and Rashid Rabbani, contacted religious, nationalist and political parties, including the Awami National Party, Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, to attend the meeting; however, a few hours later, a spokesman of the Chief Ministers House announced the cancellation of the APC. It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Today repeatedly tried contacting MQMs Faisal Sabzwari, Dr Sagheer Ahmed, Qamar Mansoor and Dr Farooq Sattar, and PPPs Taj Haider, but none of them responded to the calls or text messages.
On August 2, during a meeting with lawyers bodies on targeted killings of lawyers and other innocent citizens, the CM had announced forming a free and independent judicial commission within four days and promised that the government would write a letter to the Sindh High Court (SHC) chief justice (CJ) to appoint any serving SHC judge for the commission; however, nothing has been done in this regard thus far.
The provincial government had announced an APC last year as well, but it was also cancelled at the last minute allegedly due to pressure from the MQM.
Last July, the provincial government had constituted a tribunal, which was presided by former SHC CJ Ali Sain Dino Metlo, to probe targeted killings, but the tribunal could not start its proceedings allegedly due to the MQMs insistence.
The lawyers have now announced that due to the non-serious attitude of the government, they would themselves file a constitutional petition on the issue of target killings and become interveners in the suo motu case of the Supreme Court on targeted killings.
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/08/govt’s-cancellation-of-apc-credit-goes-to-mqm/
- MQM did not want all political, religious and nationalist parties holding it responsible for violence in city
KARACHI - The All Parties Conference (APC) on targeted killings in Karachi, which was supposed to be held on Friday, was cancelled allegedly due to pressure from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Today has learnt.
Sources in the Sindh government claimed that MQM-backed Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan had personally contacted the President House for cancelling the meeting, following which Chief Minister (CM) Syed Qaim Ali Shah ordered making the cancellation announcement.
Sources also claimed that the ongoing operations against target killers is eyewash and that Interior Minister Rehman Malik, despite the reservations of senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)s Sindh leadership, had himself supervised the entire operation of the law enforcement agencies.
They are just trying to bring the MQM back to the government coalition, which is why no action has been taken in those areas that are notorious for illegal weapons and miscreants. Korangi, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, Orangi Town, Burns Road, North Karachi, Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Gulshan-e-Iqbal were hit worst by targeted killings, but no operation took place in those areas because the PPP government does not want to annoy the MQM, the sources added.
Some officials in the provincial government believe that the MQM urged cancelling the APC because the party did not want all political, religious and nationalist parties to hold it responsible for the violence in city.
On the directives of the CM, his media adviser, Waqar Mehdi, had announced on Thursday that the APC would be held at the Chief Ministers House on Friday. The committee, including PPP Sindh General Secretary Taj Haider and Sindh cabinet members Ayaz Soomro, Muzaffar Shajra and Rashid Rabbani, contacted religious, nationalist and political parties, including the Awami National Party, Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, to attend the meeting; however, a few hours later, a spokesman of the Chief Ministers House announced the cancellation of the APC. It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Today repeatedly tried contacting MQMs Faisal Sabzwari, Dr Sagheer Ahmed, Qamar Mansoor and Dr Farooq Sattar, and PPPs Taj Haider, but none of them responded to the calls or text messages.
On August 2, during a meeting with lawyers bodies on targeted killings of lawyers and other innocent citizens, the CM had announced forming a free and independent judicial commission within four days and promised that the government would write a letter to the Sindh High Court (SHC) chief justice (CJ) to appoint any serving SHC judge for the commission; however, nothing has been done in this regard thus far.
The provincial government had announced an APC last year as well, but it was also cancelled at the last minute allegedly due to pressure from the MQM.
Last July, the provincial government had constituted a tribunal, which was presided by former SHC CJ Ali Sain Dino Metlo, to probe targeted killings, but the tribunal could not start its proceedings allegedly due to the MQMs insistence.
The lawyers have now announced that due to the non-serious attitude of the government, they would themselves file a constitutional petition on the issue of target killings and become interveners in the suo motu case of the Supreme Court on targeted killings.
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/08/govt’s-cancellation-of-apc-credit-goes-to-mqm/
