Former Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh and economic expert, Dr Kaiser Bengali has said his recommendations for Karachi should be considered in detail as they are a recipe for a long lasting peace and harmonious co-existence between all socio-ethnic communities of the city. Speaking to media, here on Sunday during a visit to the residence of Zulfiqar Halepoto, a social activist, Bengali said his recommendations are not final and could be modified.
"Suggestions of all the stakeholders will be added to formulate a system which addresses the concerns of all people of Sindh including Karachiites," he added. He said all political parties of Sindh should consider all aspects of his propositions so that a lasting solution to the ongoing disagreements on the system of rule in the province could be sorted out.
The former advisor said Karachi has been facing recurrent episodes of bloodshed for the past 26 years since during the martial law regime smuggling of weapons went unchecked into the country. "People of the city have been witnessing armed fights among different mafias and other gangs over control of land and the city itself," he observed.
In reply to a question, he said that he supports the ongoing operation to arrest outlaws and suspected target killers. However, he expressed concern over lack of proper vigilance on movement of smuggled weapons, which enter into Karachi. "Until proper border security checks are put in place arresting target killers will not ensure peace in the city as new ones will be born to take ahead the violence from where their predecessors left," he pointed out.
Bengali noted that the law and order situation in Karachi and recurrent floods in Sindh are driving investors away from the province. "Sindh is the backbone of Pakistan's economy. To name just a few things, over 70 percent gas and 70 percent coal of the country is produced by the province," he said. He lamented that some profiteers pocket the earnings obtained from those mineral resources and, hence, the greater common interest is put on the back burner. When asked about rejection of his proposals by many political parties, he said they had done so without going through it. "But, I will again request them to consider the HRCP advises in the interest of common man," he said.
Later, Bengali discussed his recommendations with the representatives of civil society, including Zulfiqar Shah of Institute of Social Movement, Ghulam Mustafa Baloch of Strengthening Participatory Organisation and Zulfiqar Halepoto.
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