KARACHI - Referring to the recent terror attacks and the ongoing talks between the Taliban and the government, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that dialogue and terrorism cannot go together.
During his one-day visit to the City on Thursday, he held meetings with the Sindh government and the law enforcement agencies to review the law and order situation in wake of ongoing targeted operation. He also heard the complaints of the MQM delegation about the alleged extrajudicial killings of their workers.
Nisar declared that the Sindh government and the federal government are on the same page to continue and expediting the targeted operation. He said whether they were the security agencies or the Sindh Police, they must abide by the law and not get themselves indulged in overriding the law in their action against the criminals. 
About Karachi law and order situation, he said significant successes had been achieved in the first three months of the operation which mainly was the result of strong coordination between the federal and provincial agencies. He further said all arrests were made by the Sindh Police and Rangers on the intelligence provided by the federal security agencies in the City.
Later, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar jointly presided over a high level law and order meeting at the Chief Minister House. The participants of meeting offered fateha over the loss of 13 cops in Razzakabad area and called them heroes of the nation.
Nisar lauded the efforts and achievements of the LEAs and assured full support from the federal government. He assured them of providing bomb/explosive detecting imported vehicles to the Sindh Police to make the force more strong. He directed for constituting a core committee comprising on senior officers from the concerned federal and provincial organisations to ensure close coordination among them.
After hectic meetings with the law enforcement agencies and political parties in Karachi, Nisar while addressing a press conference said targeted operation would be expedited in the City. He vowed that government will ensure peace to Karachi.
Replying to different questions about the MQM’s complaint of arrests and alleged torture on their workers, he said he had instructed the security agencies to trace the people held without registering the FIRs and arrange their meetings with their parents. If anyone who comes under allegation should be arrested under the law.
Nisar further said the MQM had handed over a list of missing persons of their party workers. They did neither demand removal of Karachi Police Chief Shahid Hayat or any other officer nor protested on all arrests.
He said the Sindh government had not implemented on the recommendations of supervisory committee for ongoing targeted operation in the City. He announced that he will again visit Karachi on February 18 to unveil the further line of action and strategy to expedite the third phase of operation.
The interior minister said obstacles would be removed in the third phase of operation besides the political stakeholders would also be taken on board in this regard.
Nisar further said foreign elements were also involved in disturbing the peace of this commercial hub of the country.
About PTI chief Imran Kan’s disclosure about trilateral meeting between the Army Chief, the Prime Minister and him, Nisar said Imran Khan should kept the meeting secret.
In reply of assistance sought by the Sindh government for police, he said some friend countries were providing 65 latest and well-equipped vehicles to the federal government to detect the bomb/explosive material to fight against terrorism. Some of these vehicles will be provided to the Sindh Police to meet with the challenges accordingly.
The interior minister said the enemy might use other strategies like creating misunderstanding within the combating organisations to create confusion among them and officers must be careful in this regard. He said though good achievements were on the record because of this targeted operation but the same were being leveled by the untoward incidents and these must be combated by revising fighting strategy.
About verification of cell phone SIMs, he said that he was aware of this problem and getting feedback and technical information from other sources as well. He hoped he will come to the conclusion shortly in this regard.
About the slow pace of proceedings of criminal cases in the courts, the federal interior minister said speedy trial was very much necessary for the success of targeted operation. This matter must be taken by the provincial govt and federal government to the judicial authorities at high level. He also suggested the Sindh government for cooperating with the judiciary in order to avert delay in cases.
Meanwhile, Sindh CM Qaim Ali Shah appreciated full support from the federal government to carry on targeted operation against the terrorists with full force. He termed the assurance of the federal interior minister for providing bomb/explosive detective imported vehicles a step of encouraging and strengthening the Sindh Police.
Qaim said Sindh government had also surpassed all difficulties in the procurement of APCs, bulletproof vehicles, jackets/helmets, which were being now purchased on emergency basis.
The CM said increased salary package for sensitive police stations, recruitment of 400 investigation officers in Sindh Police, establishment of five new ATC Courts for trial of cases registered against the terrorists during the targeted operation, shifting of hardened convicted prisons to other provinces and transfer of sensitive cases to other cities within the province for effective prosecution were very important steps taken by the Sindh government to give the targeted operation more success.
However, he also pointed out that process of streamlining mechanism for verification of illegal SIMs needs to be expedited by the Interior Ministry.
Sindh Additional Chief Home Secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah and Sindh IGP briefed the meeting about the ongoing progress of targeted operation in Karachi, telling that targeted operation is going on in right direction and the Sindh government is going to take certain steps for further improvement.
The necessary steps which are taken by the Sindh government for expediting the pace of targeted operation are includes passage of Sindh Emergency Procurement Act-2014 for immediate purchase of bullet proof jackets; establishment of 5 Anti-terrorism Courts in Karachi; recruitment of investigation officers soon; and enhanced salary package for the policemen working in sensitive areas.
They presented the comparative data of crime in Karachi through charts, claiming the crime rate has been decreased following the targeted operation.
PML-N leader Nehal Hashmi and PML-F leader and advisor to PM Imtiaz Shaikh also met with the interior minister who presented their parties’ point of view regarding the ongoing targeted operation.
PML-F leader Imtiaz Shaikh announced his party’s support for ongoing targeted operation and said that it must not be politicized by any one.
After hectic day of meetings in city, the interior minister in the evening of same day left back for Islamabad.