KARACHI: Endorsing the PPP’s opposition to federal government’s decision to privatise the national carrier, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said on Friday that he would raise the people’s viewpoint on the subject when the matter would be put before the Council of Common Interests (CCI) for approval.

“We will deal with it when it is put before the CCI and will act in accordance with the interest and wishes of the people,” Mr Shah said in his keynote speech at a seminar titled “Asif Zardari’s five years as president and effects on strengthening and evolution of democracy” organised by the PPP’s Karachi chapter.

Mr Shah endorsed the contention of his party’s deputy secretary general, Senator Raza Rabbani, who vehemently opposed the proposed privatisation of the airline in his address on the occasion.

Mr Rabbani said that after the adoption by parliament of the 18th amendment, privatisation of strategic national interests needed a formal approval of the CCI — evenly represented by the provinces — before implementation of any proposal by the federal government.

The federal government said on Thursday it had decided to privatise the PIA, beginning with 26 per cent of its shares.

Speaking about the ongoing targeted operations by the personnel of Rangers and police to improve security situation in the provincial capital, Mr Shah said his government would not make any compromise on the law and order in Karachi.

“The targeted operations are not against any individual or party, it is against terrorists. Our forces are out to hunt down criminals and they are succeeding. They are hunting the culprits and have already hunted many of them,” said the chief minister.

He praised the federal government for its support and hoped the situation in Karachi would improve quickly if cooperation from Islamabad continued.

He asked those who were protesting against the operations to seek justice from the courts. “They should go to the courts and challenge the arrests they are opposed to.

The courts are free and will duly impart justice,” Mr Shah added. He said the government’s strategy was bearing fruit and soon the metropolis would get rid of criminals.

“I appeal to all to support us in our endeavour to bring peace back to our beautiful city.”

Mr Shah appreciated former President Zardari for his policies based on ‘tolerance and reconciliation’, which, he said, were now being lauded by his worst foes as well.

Qamar Zaman Kaira, PPP’s Information Secretary, said PPP had always been given a ‘broken and weaker’ Pakistan, and the party was punished after it strengthened the country in testing times.

He demanded that history be corrected by giving justice to the party’s founding chairman, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who, according to him, was a victim of ‘judicial murder’ during military leader Gen Ziaul Haq’s regime.

He said Mr Zardari took reins of the country in 2008 when it was shabbily placed in the comity of nations and “he left the presidency in 2013 when Pakistan assumed a respectable place in the world”.

Mr Kaira said the party would keep fighting against terrorism and militancy despite all odds.

He said the PPP would not create any unjustified hurdles in the way of the PML-N government, but would keep opposing those decisions which were against the interest of the people.

A senior leader of the Awami National Party, Afrasiab Khattak, said his party, PPP and some other progressive parties were the main victims of terrorist attacks. “But, together we will keep fighting to save our country from bigotry,” he said.

He appreciated Mr Zardari for relinquishing his power as the president and making the country’s constitution better and just. He said Mr Zardari followed his own policy of reconciliation with resilience throughout his tenure.

Journalists Imtiaz Alam and Jabbar Khattak, playwright Asghar Nadeem Syed and columnist Wajahat Masood also spoke on the occasion.