Opinion Provincialising Karachi

On April 25,Daily Times reported: Shahbaz said the PML-N wouldn’t oppose the creation of a Seraiki province in Punjab if more provinces were created in Pakistan,including Karachi as a separate province.” The PML-N is obviously opposed to the division of Punjab,and since this demand has been repeatedly raised by the PPP,Sharif chose to hit back by suggesting the division of Sindh,which is the PPP’s stronghold. His statement elicited vociferous condemnation from PML-N’s political opponents,the PPP,MQM and ANP. The protest turned violent as Daily Times reported on April 26: “Activists from nationalist parties on Monday attacked the regional office of PML-N over the statement of Punjab CM.” However,as Dawn reported on April 26 Sharif not only retracted his statement but also restated it: “He contradicted reports that he had called for making Karachi a separate province… According to him,he had said that ‘the PML-N is not opposed to the creation of Seraiki or Bahawalpur province,but as a national party it would decide the issue… at the party level and that where else in the country new provinces were to be created and whether or not Karachi should also be made a new province.’ He regretted an attempt was made… deliberately… to wrongly interpret what he had said… which had hurt him personally.”

Batting for ISI

The PPP was put in a spot after opposition leader in National Assembly,Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan questioned the mandate of the ISI chief to visit Washington earlier this month,reported Daily Times on April 26. PM Yousuf Raza Gilani,reported The News on April 28,retorted to Khan’s question,giving a clean chit to Pakistan’s intelligence apparatus: “‘The country’s institutions should not be looked at with suspicion… Whatever the intelligence agencies,including the ISI,do is according to the government’s instructions and under the government’s guidance.’ Speaking about the DG ISI’s visit to Washington,the PM said Pakistan and the US had multilateral cooperation… for the last 60 years.”

Relentless onslaught

Karachi witnessed Taliban-sponsored violence this week. Interestingly,they now targeted the Pakistan navy,which temporarily closed its schools in Karachi to contain the damage.

The News reported on April 27: “Taliban spokesman,Ihsanullah Ihsan called The News from an undisclosed location and said they had targeted the navy in Karachi because it had been protecting US consignments at the Karachi seaport.” Barely two days later,another attack took place. Daily Times reported on April 29: “Another bomb ripped through a Pakistan navy bus… in Karachi on Thursday,killing five… and wounding 13… among them seven civilians. It was the third attack on the navy… in the city.”

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