KARACHI, Nov 19: Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza has said that so far no proof of Talibanisation has been found in the documents provided by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement leadership in a recently held meeting in London.

Addressing a press conference accompanied by Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq and Law Minister Ayaz Soomro in the Sindh Assembly building on Wednesday, he said the recent meeting with MQM chief Altaf Hussain in London was held on the desire of the latter who wanted to share his fears of Talibanisation in Sindh, particularly Karachi.

The home minister said that the meeting with Mr Hussain was held in a cordial atmosphere.

A file containing news clippings and a few papers prepared by the MQM as proof of the presence of the Taliban were provided to them, he said.

“We are studying this document. I have also sent it to the agencies concerned for investigation but so far there is nothing to worry about.”

People should not be afraid or confused about the Taliban issue as still we could not find any evidence of their presence in this city, the minister said.

“However, we have continued studying this file to ascertain if it can lead us to find the Taliban in Sindh,” he said, adding that any solid proof of their presence in Karachi would be welcomed.

He made it clear that religious seminaries would be taken on board for confirmation if any information indicated the presence of the Taliban in the city.

The minister stressed that people should understand the difference between Islamisation and Talibanisation. “We encourage Islamisation but we are against Talibanisation by nature and religion,” he said, adding that Islam is against terrorism and hatred as it teaches peace and love.

While referring to the closure of girls’ schools and blowing of movies theatres and hairdressers’ shops in the northern parts of the country, Pir Mazharul Haq said that there was no indication that such acts could be undertaken in Sindh.

About the meeting with Mr Hussain, the minister said that the top PPP leadership directed them to go to London on the MQM chief’s desire.

He said: “Such meetings help in building an effective working relationship.”

The ministers also rejected rumours about the change of the chief minister in Sindh, saying that the seasoned politician who was also the provincial president of the PPP enjoyed full confidence of the coalition partners besides that of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional.

Regarding the merger of the criminal prosecution and law departments, Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro said the criminal prosecution department remained part of the law department until recent years. It was during the Musharraf government that it was made a separate department, he added.

He said: “The chief minister, the senior minister and I sat together and decided to merge the criminal prosecution into the law department to cut on expenditures.”