PPP core committee for squeezing Jang Group, Geo financially | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

PPP core committee for squeezing Jang Group, Geo financially

By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir

ISLAMABAD: The so-called core committee of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) that held an emergency meeting at the president house here Tuesday evening favoured the idea of calling the Army and handing Karachi over to it for maintaining law and order situation in the biggest city of the country.

The meeting took stock of the political situation and discussed the methods to deal with the judiciary and media but the aggravated situation in Karachi dominated the whole proceedings but despite the depressing developments participants of the meeting kept on condemning the Geo and Jang Group for its independent policy.

Well placed sources present in the meeting told The News on the condition of anonymity that central office bearers of the party and others belonging to Karachi suggested screwing the media that is opposing the government. The former asked for the steps that should squeeze the Jang/Geo financially. The latter appreciated the tone and language resorted by the Punjab senior minister hailing from the PPP and a woman member of the provincial assembly Punjab on the floor of the house on Monday and Tuesday. Another woman member of the National Assembly who is also central office bearer of the party used rough language about the media and particularly Kamran Khan, Ansar Abbasi and other newsmen belonging to the Geo/Jang were targeted by her. Incidentally she deals with the media.

Federal law minister who is supposed to give intellectual input to the committee was conspicuous with his absence. He has been deliberately sidelined for the time being so that the judiciary should not feel offended because he had been using obnoxious language about the honourable judiciary. The other purpose of keeping him away from the meeting could be a mean of trick so that it could help in softening the opposition Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N). The PML-N has already decided not to enter in any dialogue with the government, as long the law minister is not thrown out of the cabinet, the sources said.

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani co-chaired the meeting of the committee and he pleaded for a yielding behaviour towards others so that the policy of reconciliation must not be impeded.

The sources said that the atmosphere in the committee’s meeting was very disappointing not because of the situation in Karachi but due to unfolding event down the line in few days, the sources added. The spokesman of the presidency was not available for offering his comments about the details of the committee proceedings gathered by this scribe.
Source: The News
Date:10/20/2010