KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain demanded Tuesday that the administration of Karachi should be handed over to army personnel, DawnNews reported.

In a statement issued from London, Hussain said the situation of Karachi was worsening day by day and prime minister Nawaz Sharif should hand over responsibilities of the city to army personnel.

Hussain said the Sindh government, which was led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), had failed to provide protection to residents of Karach’s Lyari neighbourhood despite the fact that the area was steeped in violence and gang-wars and several people had died due to terrorist attacks.

Earlier this month, Pakistan's president-elect Mamnoon Hussain indicated in a TV program that the army’s assistance could be sought for restoration of peace in Karachi.

Mamnoon moreover said if MQM was a patriotic party, it would not have objections to seeking army persons for provision of security in Sindh’s metropolis.

The president was of the view that extreme measures would have to be adopted in order for peace to prevail in Karachi.

Karachi is home to multiple conflicts that frequently turn violent, including gang wars, ethnic and political rivalries. Militants are said to use the city as a hiding place and a source of funds obtained through bank heists, extortion and kidnapping for ransom. Moreover, political parties have increasingly started using the city as a battleground for their conflicting interests.