Manzoor Wasan replaces Zulfiqar Mirza as Sindh Home Minister
By Syed Irfan Raza
ISLAMABAD: The PPP-led government has decided to keep the doors of reconciliation open with the disgruntled coalition partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and to restore the commissionerate system in Sindh to ‘strengthen’ the local government in Karachi, maintain law and order and curb target killings.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting held at the Presidency on Friday. It was jointly presided over by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
However, the decision about the commissionerate system may further antagonise the MQM which expressed its serious opposition to the system when it was first proposed. In fact a Muttahida leader severely criticised the decision on Friday immediately after its announcement.
The meeting at the Presidency also decided to appoint Manzoor Hussain Wasan as Sindh’s Home Minister and re-induct Zulfiqar Ali Mirza into the provincial cabinet as housing and works minister, the position earlier held by Mr Wasan.
It gave Rangers and police full powers to launch an ‘operation’ in Karachi without any discrimination. Sources said President Zardari did not accept the resignation of Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad, indicating that the PPP still wanted the Muttahida back in the coalition.
President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar told Dawn that the MQM and the PPP had agreed to amend the local bodies system in Sindh, including Karachi, by introducing the commissionerate system, but the former wanted some time for its implementation.
Under the local government system, five districts of Karachi had been merged into the one, while in Hyderabad one district had been turned into more districts.
“If the commissionerate system is restored in Karachi it will again have five separate districts,” Mr Babar said.
The MQM categorically rejected the government’s decision in replace of the existing local government system. “We are against the system and will definitely oppose it when a bill is tabled in the provincial assembly for debate,” said Raza Haroon of the MQM Rabita Committee. But, he added, his party believed in reconciliation.
“President Zardari directed the authorities concerned to deal sternly with criminal elements regardless of their political affiliation,” Mr Babar said.
One of the significant decisions taken by the meeting was revival of anti-terrorism courts in Karachi and appointment of judges on vacant posts to dispose of pending cases as early as possible.
“It has been decided that judges will be appointed to the vacant posts of anti-terror courts and prosecution branch will be beefed up to provide an effective legal framework for dealing with criminals and lawless elements,” the spokesman said.
“We are offering carrots to the MQM, but on the other hand we have to control the deteriorating law and order in Karachi,” Mr Babar said. He said the PPP had asked the MQM to reconsider its decision of quitting the government and it was in touch with MQM leaders to bury differences.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who had rushed to Karachi on the directives of the president to coordinate with the provincial government on issues relating to law and order and target killings, briefed the meeting on the situation in the country’s commercial hub.
According to an official announcement, the meeting decided to pursue the policy of reconciliation with all political forces. The Sindh government will take immediate steps to revive the commissionerate system in Karachi and amend the law relating to local government system to make the local administration more responsive to emerging challenges to law and order in the city and the province.
The meeting took decisions in the light of briefings given by Sindh Chief Minister Sindh and the interior minister. It decided that peace and law and order in Karachi would be restored at all costs. The meeting expressed sympathies with the victims of violence and offered condolence to their families.
Pir Mazhrul Haq, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Manzoor Hussain Wasan, Nadir Ali Khan Magsi, Agha Sirij Durrani, Zulfiqar Ali Mirza, Faryal Talpur, Syed Naveed Qamar, Syed Khursheed Shah, Babar Awan and Farhatullah Babar attended the meeting.
Source: Dawn
Date:7/9/2011
” 
” 
” 
” 
” 
