ISLAMABAD: Apparently beset by a new wave of violence in Karachi, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement agreed in the National Assembly on Friday to ideas to deweaponise the city and send a parliamentary panel to investigate recent killing sprees there.
Ideas for what is called deweaponisation, or searching and seizing illegal arms, in the violence-plagued city had long been floated by both friends and foes of the MQM, to be countered by the Karachi-based party with its demand for a more daunting nationwide deweaponisation.
And proposals for sending an all-party fact-finding parliamentary committee to Karachi came from other opposition parties and a government-allied party without a response from either the MQM or the PPP-led coalition government.
But on Friday, MQM parliamentary leader Farooq Sattar came out with what looked like a grudging acceptance of both proposals after launching a tirade against the government, which his party was allied with until June, for allegedly backing what he called a nexus between terrorists and underworld mafia to harm his partys prospects in next general elections at the risk of a civil war in the countrys commercial hub.
Whatever the National Assembly decides I will be with you, he told the house while referring to proposals, mainly from the main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N party and the government-allied Awami National Party, for sending to Karachi a parliamentary fact-finding committee, which he said should find ways to save the hen that lays the golden eggs.
But he also called for the formation of a judicial commission to investigate and assess damage from recent waves of violence for paying compensation to sufferers and the formation of a Sindh Assembly committee to oversee operations by paramilitary Rangers to maintain peace in the city.
While talking of proposals for deweaponising Karachi, Mr Sattar first called for taking up a private bill his party had moved earlier this year which also sought a total ban on importing weapons and ammunition and then said: You may do deweaponisation (in Karachi if you want), but first there should also be decriminalisation or demafia (operations), he said, assuring the house of his partys cooperation for restoration of peace in Karachi and for what he said in a couplet planting a tree of love.
Mr Sattar alleged that a conspiracy to destroy peace in Karachi had begun with the formation of the present government in 2008 though his party was part of this government and said the latest round of attacks on his partys supporters was meant to avenge its second separation from the ruling alliance in late June.
And he said he had a list of 500 gangsters who he alleged had been let loose on his party without any obstruction from police and challenged the government to give a list of and act against any black sheep found even in his party of being responsible for violence.
The MQM has been sitting on the opposition benches after it left the government at the centre and in Sindh, though the partys Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad Khan withdrew his resignation last month.
But support to it from other opposition parties has been little more than desk-thumping cheers to its criticism of the government while they all had disagreed to its opposition to the revival of what is known as commissionerate system in Sindh, which restores five districts of Karachi, and none of them backed MQM leader Altaf Hussains demand two days ago for calling up army in Karachi.
One opposition party, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islami, on Thursday even rejected the proposal, which Mr Sattar said was meant only to have a neutral force to oversee law-enforcement rather than a takeover of the city.
He said the PPPs administrative moves were meant to deprive the MQM of at least five National Assembly and 12 provincial assembly seats.
The debate, in which five other lawmakers from both sides of the house spoke on the day, will be resumed on Monday when the house meets at 1pm.
MQM agrees to Karachi
Ideas for what is called deweaponisation, or searching and seizing illegal arms, in the violence-plagued city had long been floated by both friends and foes of the MQM, to be countered by the Karachi-based party with its demand for a more daunting nationwide deweaponisation.
And proposals for sending an all-party fact-finding parliamentary committee to Karachi came from other opposition parties and a government-allied party without a response from either the MQM or the PPP-led coalition government.
But on Friday, MQM parliamentary leader Farooq Sattar came out with what looked like a grudging acceptance of both proposals after launching a tirade against the government, which his party was allied with until June, for allegedly backing what he called a nexus between terrorists and underworld mafia to harm his partys prospects in next general elections at the risk of a civil war in the countrys commercial hub.
Whatever the National Assembly decides I will be with you, he told the house while referring to proposals, mainly from the main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N party and the government-allied Awami National Party, for sending to Karachi a parliamentary fact-finding committee, which he said should find ways to save the hen that lays the golden eggs.
But he also called for the formation of a judicial commission to investigate and assess damage from recent waves of violence for paying compensation to sufferers and the formation of a Sindh Assembly committee to oversee operations by paramilitary Rangers to maintain peace in the city.
While talking of proposals for deweaponising Karachi, Mr Sattar first called for taking up a private bill his party had moved earlier this year which also sought a total ban on importing weapons and ammunition and then said: You may do deweaponisation (in Karachi if you want), but first there should also be decriminalisation or demafia (operations), he said, assuring the house of his partys cooperation for restoration of peace in Karachi and for what he said in a couplet planting a tree of love.
Mr Sattar alleged that a conspiracy to destroy peace in Karachi had begun with the formation of the present government in 2008 though his party was part of this government and said the latest round of attacks on his partys supporters was meant to avenge its second separation from the ruling alliance in late June.
And he said he had a list of 500 gangsters who he alleged had been let loose on his party without any obstruction from police and challenged the government to give a list of and act against any black sheep found even in his party of being responsible for violence.
The MQM has been sitting on the opposition benches after it left the government at the centre and in Sindh, though the partys Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad Khan withdrew his resignation last month.
But support to it from other opposition parties has been little more than desk-thumping cheers to its criticism of the government while they all had disagreed to its opposition to the revival of what is known as commissionerate system in Sindh, which restores five districts of Karachi, and none of them backed MQM leader Altaf Hussains demand two days ago for calling up army in Karachi.
One opposition party, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islami, on Thursday even rejected the proposal, which Mr Sattar said was meant only to have a neutral force to oversee law-enforcement rather than a takeover of the city.
He said the PPPs administrative moves were meant to deprive the MQM of at least five National Assembly and 12 provincial assembly seats.
The debate, in which five other lawmakers from both sides of the house spoke on the day, will be resumed on Monday when the house meets at 1pm.
MQM agrees to Karachi
