Awami National Party (ANP) on Thursday said that it was not taken into confidence by coalition partners for giving mandate to President Asif Ali Zardari to hold talks with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for restoration of peace in Karachi.
"We as coalition partner were not taken into confidence on the decision to empower President Asif Ali Zardari to hold talks with MQM on Karachi issue", said ANP central secretary-information Zahid Khan while talking to media person here at the Parliament House.
Following 48-hour deadline given by MQM chief Altaf Hussain to the government on Karachi unrest, it appeared on Wednesday that the coalition partners have authorised President Zardari during a meeting at the presidency to hold negotiation with MQM for the restoration of peace in Karachi.
Zahid Khan said that his party's Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmed Balour attended the meeting that took place in the presidency adding that Balour, being a cabinet member was not representing ANP in the meeting which authorised the President on Karachi unrest.
The ANP leader demanded that army should be called by the civilian government as per constitution to cleanse the city from all kinds of weapons including legal and illegal, which he said was the only solution to restore peace in Karachi. He said that Karachi is full of arms, which needs to be eliminated.
He said that there was difference of opinion between the MQM chief Altaf Hussain and the ANP on calling army in Karachi, adding that the ANP was demanding army to be called by the civilian government under the constitution while the MQM wanted Karachi to be handed over to the army.
To a question, he said that after the 18th Amendment the law and order was provincial subject and it becomes responsibility of the chief minister Sindh to take steps to restore peace in the country's economic hub. He further said that land mafias, drug mafias and the arms mafias needed to be wiped out to restore peace.
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