ISLAMABAD, Aug 28: A day after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) called for army deployment to bring violence-hit Karachi back to normality, the federal government cautiously decided on Wednesday to step in and play its role.

The federal cabinet decided to hold a special meeting on Karachi in coming days and consult all concerned quarters to chalk out what a minister said would be a “sound and workable strategy” against criminal elements.

The minister said the government had decided to invite to the proposed meeting the Sindh chief minister, governor and the chief secretary as well as the directors general of Rangers, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB). The MQM’s parliamentary leader, Dr Farooq Sattar, will also be invited to give his party’s perspective with special reference to its call for bringing in troops.

Soon after the meeting commenced, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif asked Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to brief the cabinet on the law and order condition in Karachi. Chaudhry Nisar termed the situation “increasingly going out of control” if the Sindh government didn’t act forcefully.

Speaking at a press conference later, the interior minister ruled out handing over Karachi to the army, saying it would be inappropriate to send troops to the city without taking the provincial government on board. He said the army was already overstretched because of being heavily engaged in internal and external security matters.

He said a number of target killers, extortionists and other criminals had been identified and most of them had some political links. “The agencies’ record about these criminals will be placed before the cabinet’s special meeting.”

Chaudhry Nisar said a blueprint about Karachi’s worsening situation and a methodology, involving targeted operation, to address the issue had been prepared, but said the proposed plan would be implemented after evolving a consensus.

He said it was possible to resolve the issue, but it was imperative to give a free hand to police and Rangers and keep the process completely free from political intervention. It would not be possible to achieve the objective if efforts were made to protect political interests, he said. “I will be the first to expose those belonging to my party found involved in wrongdoings.”

Chaudhry Nisar said the centre wanted to give a final word to the provincial government and proposed that the chief minister should lead the entire effort.

“We want to take all steps within the domain of the constitution and under the supervision of the provincial government.”

He said a committee comprising leaders of political parties represented in Karachi and renowned business and media personalities to oversee the operation had also been proposed so that nobody could raise a finger at the transparency of the exercise. He said the proposed operation would be totally non-political.

In reply to a question, he said the MQM would be represented at the meeting if Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad returned from his foreign visit before it.

Underscoring the urgency to address the problem, he warned that more serious threats were looming over Karachi.

Chaudhry Nisar said the woes of Karachi could be addressed but it required political will, a sense of direction, clarity of thought and transparency.

“Karachi and the people of Karachi do not deserve what is happening right now,” he said.

The timing of the MQM’s call for using army against violence in Karachi has raised eyebrows. Throughout Gen Pervez Musharraf’s rule and then the PPP-led government’s term, the MQM was part of the government but it never raised such a demand, although Karachi remained in the grip of violence.

The MQM even angrily reacted to a statement of Chaudhry Nisar when, soon after taking over charge in June, he called for intervention by the federal government in Karachi.

However, since the election of the president on July 30 in which the MQM voted for the PML-N’s candidate, it appears that the two parties are coming closer to each other.

Some believe the MQM’s call for handing over Karachi to the army and the swift response by the federal government to have a special cabinet meeting is part of the developing good working relationship between them.On the other hand, the MQM and PPP, former allies in Sindh and the centre, have developed serious differences over the new local government bill for the province. Despite opposition by the MQM, the PPP got the bill passed last week. It was signed on Monday by Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani as acting governor since Dr Ibad is abroad these days.

“No doubt the PPP government in Sindh has completely failed to improve law and order, but a military operation is no solution to the problem,” PTI leader Shafqat Mahmood said.

He said the most “intriguing” development at the moment was the MQM’s cry for army deployment. He wondered whether the MQM, by engaging the military in Karachi, wanted to pave the way for imposition of governor rule in Sindh.

No MQM leader was available for comments.

DR AAFIA: The cabinet approved the signing of the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. It was informed that after attaining accession to the convention, the US government would be requested for repatriation of Aafia Siddiqui. The prime minister asked the interior minister to expedite the signing.

According to the US law, a person sentenced under federal law can only be repatriated or transferred to the country of origin/citizenship if it is a signatory to a prisoner transfer treaty to which the United States is also a signatory.