Karachi, Quetta killings: Muttahida stages walkout from National Assembly

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Tuesday staged walkout from the National Assembly (NA) in protest against targetted killings in Karachi and Quetta. Parliamentarians of MQM during their walkout raised slogans against the government saying that the govt was not taking the issue seriously.
They said it was decided in the House on Monday that today the issue of targetted killings in Karachi and Quetta would be discussed by suspending routine proceeding of the House, but the government did not take up the issue. Haider Abbas Rizvi of MQM said it was decided that today (Tuesday) the House would discuss the law and order situation of Karachi and Quetta. This is insult of the Parliament, he said. Syed Khurshid Shah said that it is private members' day but he has no objection if they want to start debate on law and order situation in Karachi.
Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza said the MQM should give names of its members for starting debate. But the members of MQM did not listen to the Speaker and staged walkout from the House in protest. Later, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) persuaded the MQM members to bring them back to the House.
The opposition also demanded of the government to constitute Parliamentary Committee comprising representatives of all parties to probe into the situation in Karachi. While starting debate on the law and order situation in Karachi and Quetta, Rana Tanvir Ahmed said the President and Prime Minister should take notice of target killings in Karachi and Quetta.
Haider Abbas Rizvi said his party members are being threatened and terrorists are firing on their houses. They are threatened to leave the houses, he said, adding that the government should take the Karachi issue seriously. He said 70 percent of MQM workers are killed in the incidents of targetted killings. He said the government should work on war-footing to control the situation.
Haider Abbas warned that if the problem of Karachi was not resolved in 48 hours the government would be responsible for the consequences. Laik Muhammad Khan of JUI-F said two dead bodies of Pakhtuns were brought to his constituency. He claimed that the Interior Minister gives wrong statements about situation in Karachi.
Aftab Ahmed Sherpao said that a special committee of the Parliament should be constituted comprising representatives of all the parties. He said this committee should go to Karachi and investigate the incidents of targetted killings and gather facts and to prepare its report in the House. He said the government should inform the House as to how many cases were registered and how many culprits have so far been arrested and punished.
Abdul Qadir Patel said MQM Haqiqi is also a reality of Karachi and we have to accept it. He said that many workers of MQM Haqiqi have been killed in targetted killings in Karachi. "We shall give social and political rights to all political parties. We must sit together with all stockholders and address their grievances," he said.
Responding to the members, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said that we ourselves migrated from Baghdad how come we don't respect them. Khawaja Saad Rafiq of PML-N said that it is responsibility of PPP government to control the law and order situation in Karachi. But the govt was not ready to resolve this issue, he claimed. He said PPP is fanning the ethnic issue in the country. He said that this issue may divide the country.
He also demanded of the government to constitute a Parliamentary Committee comprising representatives of all parliamentary parties to probe the incidents of targetted killings. "If the rulers cannot stop bloodshed in the county, they should leave the government and go for elections and let the people of Pakistan decide," he said.