ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has urged the government to set up Rangers’ posts in troubled areas of Karachi on a ‘permanent basis’ and take ‘decisive action’ against mafias operating in the city in order to stop targeted killings in future.

“We have identified some 40 sensitive areas where pickets of Rangers are needed to be set up on a permanent basis till the time the government takes a decisive action against criminal, land and encroachment mafias,” Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and convener of the MQM Coordination Committee Dr Farooq Sattar told Dawn after meeting Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani with a party delegation here on Saturday.

Dr Sattar claimed that the prime minister had assured them that the government would take ‘decisive action’, but did not give any timeframe for it. “Let’s see when the government realises the need for it (action),” he added.

The demand for a decisive action has come from the MQM at a time when Awami National Party (ANP), mainly representing the Pakhtuns, and some other groups have started blaming the MQM for the violence in the city.

Dr Sattar is of the view that “land and encroachment mafias” are responsible for 80 per cent incidents of target killings in the city. He admitted that there was a possibility that some elements belonging to these mafias had taken refuge in political parties.

“We have told the prime minister that the time now has come to take necessary actions against criminal mafia,” Dr Sattar said, adding they had reminded the prime minister that the officials of law-enforcement and intelligence agencies in their recent briefings to the prime minister had identified the elements behind the target killing incidents that took place in Karachi every now and then.

The MQM leader said they had expressed their concern over the fact that the law and order committee formed by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah in January, this year, had failed to hold any meeting. “We have urged the prime minister to take steps to end such target killings on permanent basis,” he said.

When asked to explain the term “decisive action”, the MQM leader without identifying any party or groups, said there was a need to take action against the members of land and encroachment mafias and those involved in drug business in Karachi.

Dr Sattar dispelled an impression that the recent incidents of target killings were ethnic based. “Had it been so, the violence should have been in the whole city. It is not the case. The trouble is only in the jurisdiction of some 15 police stations,” he added.

Dr Sattar said they also discussed the forthcoming budget during the meeting. He said the MQM wanted more allocations in the health and education sectors. Moreover, he said, the MQM also wanted to have a mass transit system for transportation in Karachi.

According to an official handout issued after the meeting, the two sides condemned the recent Karachi killings and called for identifying those elements, creating differences within the parties.
BUDGET: Mr Gilani said next year’s budget would be finalised in consultation with all the coalition partners. He said regular meetings with parliamentarians had greatly helped him reassess the requirements of the public and the functioning of the state institutions at all levels. He expressed confidence that in the light of these meetings the allocation of funds and implementation of projects/schemes, would be better managed and planned during the next financial years.
The prime minister said he would invite all the provincial chief ministers to a meeting with the entire finance team to finalize the issue of value added tax (VAT). He said in order to meet the increasing demand of the country the government had to look into new avenues to generate funds and to streamline financial matters.

The prime minister asked the MQM delegation to meet the finance advisor to give him all the proposals regarding forthcoming budget. He observed that the special packages for any region could only prove to be beneficial when all the stakeholders were on board. He urged that all the stakeholders should get together while finalizing mega projects of their respective areas so that its implementation could be executed within the prescribed time.

Mr Gilani said the government was already making every effort to overcome energy shortage, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, inadequate health facilities, rural and regional backwardness. However, he added, it was a gigantic task and a challenge for the public representatives for which the spirit of nationalism and concerted efforts above party lines and political affiliation were required.

Mr Gilani stressed the provincial governments would have to work diligently and build up their capacity to bring about the change in the lives of the people. The PM said he would visit Orangi Town during his next visit to Karachi to see various projects.

The MQM delegation consisted of MNAs Syed Tayyab Hussain, Salahuddin, Khawaja Sohail Mansoor, S.A. Iqbal Qadri, Shaikh Salahuddin, Sufyan Yousuf, Dr Nadeem Ehsan, Waseem Akhtar, Abdul Rashid Godil, Dr Muhammad Ayub Sheikh, Syed Asif Hussain, Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan, Sajid Ahmad, Dr Nahid Shahid Ali, Kishwar Zehra, Fouzia Ejaz Khan, Imrana Saeed Jamil and Shagufta Sadiq.