KARACHI: Sindh's Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah presided over a meeting of his cabinet on Sunday during which the decision to convene an All Parties Conference (APC) in the first week of July over the prevailing law and order situation of Karachi.
The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Manzoor Hussain Wassan, Sharjeel Memon, Dr. Sikandar Mandhro, Sardar Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar, Makhdoom Jameel-uz-Zaman, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani and Adviser to the Chief Minister on Finance and Economic Affairs, Syed Murad Ali Shah.
The cabinet decided to tighten the security at all the jails especially in Karachi and Hyderabad, said an official statement.
The APC would be headed by the province's Chief MInister and would include all religious and political parties inside and outside the parliament to improve the law and order situation in Karachi.
It was also decided in the meeting that all available resources would be utilised to restore law and order in the city.
Sharjeel Memon, while briefing the media about the meeting at the CM House, said the that the cabinet discussed the on-going violence of targeted killings and the attack on Karachi Jail late on Saturday night and decided to initiate consultations with the political parties and to expedite the ongoing targeted action against criminals in the city.
“The government will consult with the political parties first and then decide the date of the APC,” Memon said, adding that the opposition parties, who have been criticising the government, should come up with positive suggestions to maintain law and order in the metropolis.
He said that the Sindh cabinet also decided to form a joint investigation team (JIT) to conduct an inquiry into the killing of MQM's MPA Sajid Qureshi. The JIT would comprise of police, rangers, ISI and other officials of intelligence agencies for a transparent inquiry.
The information minister further said that to prevent any untoward incident or act of terrorism, the Sindh government decided to conduct surprise snap checkings in the city. He appealed to the people of Karachi to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies as these steps were being taken for their security and safety.