Zardari asks MQM to rejoin government for peace

President Asif Ali Zardari has once again invited Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to rejoin the government amid reservations by its chief Altaf Hussain that Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) are providing to the British government false and fabricated reports about his party.
The President invited the MQM to be part of the government in a high-level meeting, which was held at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Friday to discuss the law and order situation in Karachi. Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, federal minister Syed Khursheed Shah, provincial ministers Manzoor Wassan, Sharjeel Memon, Ayaz Soomro, Agha Siraj Durrani, Ali Nawaz Shah, MNA Abdul Qadir Patel and presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar were also present.
Sources told Business Recorder that during the meeting, President Asif Ali Zardari also had a telephonic conversation with MQM Chief Altaf Hussain and invited his party to rejoin the government at centre and Sindh province. During their talk, the MQM chief expressed his serious concern over the alleged role of IB and FIA.
According to him, these two agencies are providing fabricated and false information to the British government about his party. The President, however, denied such reports and assured the MQM chief that an inquiry would be conducted into the matter. However, the sources said that MQM is likely to join the government first in Sindh and later at centre with the ministries they were holding previously.
For this purpose, the Chief Minister Sindh and the Governor Sindh would hold a meeting today (Saturday) to finalise government's invitation to MQM to rejoin the government. According to sources, it is highly expected that the MQM will join Sindh government in the next couple of days.
The source said that the President had also constituted a three-member committee comprising Governor Sindh, Chief Minister Sindh and Interior Minister Sindh to look into the present law and order situation in Karachi particularly with reference to incidents of targeted killings in the economic hub of the country.
Earlier Chief Minster Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Home Minister Sindh Manzoor Wassan gave a detailed briefing to the President on the current security situation in Karachi. According to a handout issued by the Presidency, President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday chaired a high-level meeting on the law and order situation in Karachi at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that the Governor and Chief Minister briefed the meeting on the latest situation with particular reference to the spurt in the incidence of violence and targeted killings. The meeting decided that the Sindh government will approach the government of Balochistan for working out arrangements to allow pursuit by the Sindh police of gangsters, and criminals fleeing from Karachi besides stepping up surveillance of the routes leading to Karachi to keep an eye on the criminal elements and illegal movement of weapons.
The Spokesperson said the meeting also decided to beef up intelligence network in Karachi to provide real time information to the police to apprehend culprits planning criminal activities. A committee comprising Governor, Chief Minister and Home Minister was also formed to oversee the law order situation in Karachi.
The Committee will remain in constant touch with one another and keep the Presidency informed of the latest situation in Karachi, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said that the President directed that all victims of violence be compensated immediately. Fateha was also offered for those who had lost their lives in recent violence. No criminal would be spared regardless of political affiliation, if any, the meeting reiterated.
During the meeting, the President also called Altaf Hussain on the phone in London and emphasised the need to work together to fight lawlessness. The President said that elements behind the recent spurt in violence were those who wanted to drive a wedge between the PPP and the MQM.
Reciprocating the sentiment Altaf Hussain said that ending violence in Karachi was critical for peace and stability and that the MQM supported any move that was aimed at restoring peace to the city. The President once again invited Altaf Hussain that MQM join the government and said that the gesture will send a powerful signal to deter the crime mafia and gangsters.