Karachi: PPP, MQM and ANP meeting: Coordination committee made functional

[Naveed Yaseen]

KARACHI: A high level meeting of the coalition partners in the Sindh government, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Muttahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Awami National Party (ANP), was held on Saturday at the Governor’s House to discuss the deteriorating law and order situation in the city.

In the meeting, which was presided over by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, it was decided that all the leaders of the coalition parties would play their role in calming the spree of violence in the city, sources said.

In the meeting MQM was represented by Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghauri and Parliamentary leader of the party in the National Assembly Dr Farooq Sattar. ANP was represented by ANP Sindh President Shahi Syed and ANP Sindh General Secretary Ameen Khattak. Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza was also present in the meeting. Khattak told Daily Times that many issues including the present spree of violence were discussed in the meeting.

It was agreed to reactivate the coordination committee formed when the city witnessed riots last December, he said. “The coordination committee has been given full powers to dissolve the present tension and also sort out other controversial issues like land grabbing,” Khattak added. He said that the committee was made nonfunctional when the situation calmed down in the city after the last riots that erupted. The ANP general secretary said that the committee would be meeting on Friday at the Chief Minster’s House.

“The coordination committee will meet on a regular basis,” he went on to say. Every party would try to normalise the situation in the areas under their influence, Khattak added. staff report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg12_2