News
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Make Karachi arms-free: Musharraf* President warns against ‘ethnic conspiracy’
* Says govt avoiding action against Lal Masjid to avoid loss of lives
KARACHI: President General Pervez Musharraf on Friday directed the Sindh government to chalk out a comprehensive strategy and campaign to make Karachi weapons-free.
Addressing a high-level meeting at Chief Minister’s house here, Musharraf directed the Sindh government to maintain religious harmony and improve security in the provincial capital by seizing weapons from the people at the earliest.
He said that previous campaigns had failed because only ordinary citizens handed over their weapons to the government, while anti-social individuals eluded the authorities. He added that a successful weapons-recovery campaign was necessary to contain lawlessness in the city. Musharraf said the recent violence in Karachi over the suspension of Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was the result of a conspiracy to fuel ethnic tension. He said that some individuals were trying to give ethnic colour to the Karachi carnage to create more chaos in the city.
The president said rumours that the forthcoming general elections would be postponed were baseless, adding that the elections would be held according to the schedule and presidential election would be held according to the Constitution.
Musharraf also directed Federal Water and Power Minister Liaqat Jatoi to take immediate steps to overcome the electricity crisis in Karachi.
Addressing a cross-section of people at Chief Minister’s House after the meeting, Musharraf repeated the government’s resolve to eliminate terrorism and extremism from the country. He said that extremism existed in the country in the form of some groups who were trying to impose their beliefs on others. “This is a challenge which has to be faced,” he added.
On the Lal Masjid issue, Musharraf said it was not difficult for the government to take action against the madrassa students but this would result in loss of lives. He said that his only advice to the Lal Masjid administration was that they should follow the right path and avoid harming Pakistan.
Musharraf also called for harmony in Karachi in the aftermath of the May 12 violence. “Everyone should make sure that such things do not recur in future and peace and harmony is maintained here,” Musharraf said. “Now it is the responsibility of everyone living here to sustain the restored normalcy and maintain peace,” he was quoted as saying by APP. Musharraf said that he had no personal differences with CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and hoped that the opposition would avoid politicising a judicial issue. agencies
Courtesy DailyTimes.com.pk