• August 8, 2010
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* PM says no need to call in army
* Short, medium and long term plans made to stabilise Karachi’s situation
* Display of weapons in city will be discouraged

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) signed a 10-point code of conduct on Saturday.

The coalition partners resolved to maintain peace in the city and agreed to assist the law enforcement forces “in taking strict action against drug mafia, land mafia and targeted killings”.

After presiding over two meetings on the second day of his visit to the provincial capital, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani told a press conference that the targeted killings issue in Karachi would be resolved through political steps and there was no need to call in the army, as law enforcement forces were capable of controlling the situation.

Plans: The prime minister emphasised on evolving multi-level policies for permanent peace in the city, saying the federal government would completely assist in long-, medium- and short-term policies.

Gilani said the federal government would support the provincial government and law enforcement agencies for this purpose.

“We have created an atmosphere where all stakeholders should sit at the table of negotiation and agree that we will resolve all the issues through dialogue. Once they agree, we will discuss and resolve the real core issues under short term, medium term and long term plans”.

Display: The prime minister said nobody would be allowed to display weapons in the city and directed the Interior Ministry to evolve a strategy in consultation with the political leadership in this regard.

He said action against criminals, culprits and terrorists would be conducted across the board. To another question, he said the government was also looking at the possibility of involvement of a “third force” including terrorists and criminals in the target killings. razzak abro
Source: Daily Times
Date:8/8/2010