Islamabad: Pakistan's Prime Minister on Thursday
underlined the determination of his government to restore
peace in Karachi, saying "no political pressure" will be
tolerated to bring back normalcy in the country's financial
capital where more than 100 people have been killed in a fresh
wave of violence.
"The Sindh cabinet in its recent meeting in Karachi had
decided to launch an across the board action, for which nine
areas were also identified," Yusuf Raza Gilani said.
"It was also decided that in this respect no political
pressure will be tolerated," the prime minister was quoted as
saying by the state-run APP news agency.
Dismissing the view that the government showed weakness
or delay in launching operation in Karachi, he said "no
government will desire to go home on the issue of law and
order."
Interacting with mediapersons at an Iftar function, he
said despite the fact that the law and order was the
provincial subject, the federal government was extending
its full support to restore peace in Karachi.
He sidestepped a question on the reported demand of MQM
chief Altaf Hussain for the Prime Minister to resign, saying
"he is our favorite and he can say anything."
Launching "surgical" raids to check violence in Karachi,
Pakistani security forces have arrested 90 suspects from
different parts of the city, where an all-party meet has been
called by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah tomorrow to
discuss the law and order situation.
In what is being described as the worst ethnic and
criminal unrest in Pakistan's biggest city and commercial hub
in the last 16 years, more than 100 people have been killed in
the violence, prompting the government to order the crackdown.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, August 25, 2011, 23:55