Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to visit Karachi tomorrow to issue a strong policy statement on the city’s security situation according to informed sources.
“The premier postponed his scheduled visit to Karachi on Monday as he wanted to discuss some policy guidelines with the military ahead of his visit,” an official soource intimated the media.
“PM Nawaz will visit Karachi on July 1 and is expected to deliver a strong policy statement on the Karachi situation,” the source said.
The development comes after PM Nawaz met with Army chief General Raheel Sharif at the PM House earlier today. “Matters related to Operation Zarb-e-Azb as well as return, rehabilitation and resettlement of Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs) came under discussion during the meeting,” a statement from the PM House read.
Regarding the meeting, the source said, “PM Nawaz and General Raheel Sharif discussed Karachi’s situation in the wake of BBC’s report on Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and Pakistan People Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s stance on the ongoing Rangers operation against criminals particularly corruption and bad governance in Sindh government.”
The top civil and military leadership discussed an ‘ideal’ situation in which they were ready to ‘spare’ Zardari for the time-being but squeeze the party’s financiers in Sindh, the source added.
Further, the source upheld that although Zardari has backtracked from his statement against the military establishment, the civil-military leadership have decided that the former president’s future course of action would determine where he stood.
“One of Zardari’s biggest financial supporters might be in trouble as he purchased Sindh government land from Zardari,” the source added.
The source also said, “Rangers will continue operation against criminals, corruption and bad governance in Sindh come what may.”
On the involvement of India’s premier spy agency, RAW, in Pakistan, the source said, “Pakistan’ s representative in UN Maliha Lodhi has been summoned and will be asked to play a more active role in highlighting Indian interference in Pakistan’s affairs
