Karachi incident: Majority of political parties welcome inquiry report

ISLAMABAD: Except for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), majority of the political parties which are part of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 11 political parties against the government, have welcomed the inquiry report about removal of Rangers and intelligence agencies officials responsible for alleged kidnapping of inspector general Sindh.

The former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, had already rejected the report, saying “the report on Karachi incident is a cover-up scapegoating juniors and shielding the real culprits. Report “Rejected””.

But Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari welcomed the report, and said that “to take action against those found guilty of an act is the democratic way. Such actions enhance the prestige of institutions”.

Talking to journalists, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, the spokesman for Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also appreciated the actions taken by the general headquarters (GHQ).

He said that the inquiry report which recommended removal of the officials involved in kidnapping of IG Sindh, is commendable as no one should be allowed to make a state within the state.

The PPP Secretary Information, Dr Nafisa Shah, said that the inquiry report was a success of brave stance taken by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

She said that Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa ordered probe into the incident after Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari demanded an inquiry.

She continued that if Bilawal had not taken a bold stance, those involved in the incident would have gone unpunished, adding “we want rule of law in the country as no one is above the constitution”.

Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the spokesperson for the opposition’s PDM alliance, termed the development in the inquiry, a victory of the democratic forces. He said that the PDM had demanded that there should be a thorough probe into the incident and now the report was out and those involved in it should be brought to book.

“The PDM will hold further deliberations in this regard,” he added.

In a tweet, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi questioned whether after the military’s action, the Sindh government will take any action against the police officers involved in the “mutiny” of submitting en masse resignations or will it “sleep as usual”.

“It was high time for police reforms in Sindh, but I expect nothing from the criminals ruling Sindh as they have been historically involved in protecting criminals & looting public money,” he tweeted.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020