DPC seeks establishment of 'Shariah courts'

Defa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) on Thursday demanded, among other things, establishment of 'Sharia Courts', removal of Chief Minister and Governor Sindh and arrests of target killers. Chairman DPC, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq read out the joint declaration to conclude an All-Party Conference held at Idarae Noor-e-Haq. It was attended by over 40 political and religious parties.
Those parties included Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, Awami Muslim League, National People's Party, Democratic Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Nazriati, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam -Sami-ul-Haq, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal, Ghurba Ahle-Hadith, Muhajir Qaumi Movement - Haqqiqi, Jamat-Ud-Dawa, Ahle Sunnat-Wal-Jamat, Punjabi Pakhtun Ittehad and Ansaar-ul-Islam.
Former Chief of ISI, General Hamid Gul (Retd) and his son Abdullah Gul and Father of Catholic Church, Salik Diggo were also present during the conference which at the end succeeded to evolve consensus on a joint declaration. Sami-ul-Haq said, "All parties should get united for peace in Karachi," adding that the DPC will contact all parties in this connection to hold a conference in Islamabad. He stressed the demand for freeing billion of rupees government's plots and parks, which ruling coalition partners have grabbed.
He said the DPC will hold a peace march from Karachi to Islamabad on January 11, for which the council will invite all political and religious parties. Appointment of officers in Karachi police and other government departments should end, he said, adding that "a long imposed Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad should be removed" to restore peace in the city and official patronage to crimes, and violence should also end.
He said the Supreme Court and Election Commission's orders on correction of voters' lists and delimitations of constituencies in Karachi should be implemented. The DPC "strongly" denounces the coercive tactics which are being exercised to pressure the judiciary for its decision on delimitation.
The DCP declaration termed India "responsible" for Karachi unrest, saying the local agents are executing its designs. It said the government's move to give an MNF status to India is against the ideology of Pakistan. It demanded that the drone strikes in Pakistan tribal region should be stopped and Pakistan be brought out of US "slavery". It said the government should detach Pakistan from the US and renounce its alliance to the superpower. The declaration showed apprehension over the killings of over 2,300 people falling prey to targeted violence in the country's financial city in a year. It said that traders community and general public are badly affected from extortionism, kidnapping for ransom and terrorism in the city.
It alleged the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for supporting and providing shelter to the killers, extortionists, and terrorists under the garb of political reconciliation policy.
It said, "Karachi" is the unfortunate city where government departments are also hostage. It said Muttahida Qaumi Movement has built its office on government's land and parts. It observed the public cannot cast vote on their will during polls and election commission's staff is held hostage. It said Sindh Governor's House has become a safe den of extortionists and killers. It added Zakat and Fitra are collected at force while hides of sacrificial animals are taken away at gunpoint in the city. At the end the DPC demanded of the government to arrest the target killers and those who were behind the murder of Allama Hassan Turabi, Aslam Mujahid, Dr Pervez Mehmood, Azeem Ahmed Tariq, Muhammad Salahuddin, Hakim Saeed, Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai, Maulana Yousuf Ludhyani and others.