Precarious law, order situation: Constitution provides for army intervention: MQM

Apprehending what it says a conspiracy aimed at triggering civil war in the economic hub of the country to rob the biggest party of its mandate, Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) leadership has demanded that Parliament should adopt a legislation in its on-going session for de-weaponisation and decriminalization of Karachi.
The call came from none other than Parliamentary leader of MQM in the National Assembly Dr Farooq Sattar on Friday. He said that the Constitution provides for army intervention to restore peace and maintain law and order, especially in places where police become controversial. Law and order situation in Karachi could be maintained within three days if the government showed sincerity of purpose.
Unfortunately, however, the city was deliberately being pushed towards civil war to deprive MQM of 25 seats of National Assembly and 38 seats of Sindh provincial assembly. The MQM leader also demanded of the government to constitute a Judicial Commission to investigate the incidents of targeted killings in Karachi. He said the government should also announce compensation for the families of those who fell victim to targeted killings. He also proposed that a fact-finding parliamentary committee should be constituted on Karachi's law and order situation.
According to him, as many as 1,500 people have been killed in various incidents of targeted killings from January to July, 2011. He said that 80 percent people belong to various political parties. The MQM leader said that the phenomenon of targeted killings, which started after November 2008, was gradually gaining strength under a well thought strategy aimed at carrying out pre-poll rigging in Karachi.
He demanded the setting up of a judicial commission to fix the responsibility. He said the people of Karachi want to know about those who were launching assaults from responsible Kati Pahari. "The conspiracy is part of a strategy that seeks to rig the next general election. Sattar said that either the government is complicit or incompetent in relation to the situation.
Shireen Arshad of Pakistan Muslim League (N) underlined the need for taking practical measures to restore peace in the city and said that there was a need to keep an eye on Afghan Transit Trade because weapons were being transported to Karachi through containers. Captain (R) Mohammad Safdar of PML-N said that new provinces should not be created on the basis of colour, creed and ethnicity. He said new provinces should be established purely on administrative needs.