Sindh government accused of dropping criminal cases: MQM walks out of secret assembly briefing

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Thursday staged a walk out in protest from an in-camera police briefing in the Sindh Assembly, creating doubts about the integrity of its alliance with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the provincial assembly. Chanting anti-government slogans, MQM legislators rushed out of the house towards the newsmen outside the assembly building.
Leading the protest, Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed accused the provincial government of dropping criminal cases against Lyari gangsters. He said his party was going to review the matter of the continuity of its alliance with the PPP in government.
He said a meeting of his party's co-ordination committee wais under way at MQM's London secretariat in this regard. He said elements involved in Lyari gang-war were "involved in killing innocent citizens and extortion", adding that the government had exonerated them of criminals charges without taking his party into confidence.
He warned that his party was going to decide about its future line of action in protest against the withdrawal of cases against the outlawed oufit, referring to the Lyari Amn Committee. He announced his party will contest next polls independently and ruled out any coalition the PPP in the run up to elections.
Condemning the Sindh Law Department, the lawmakers said that the government had forced the Public Prosecutor District South to drop 34 criminal cases against members of the outlawed outfit. Talking to reporters after the end of the in-camera session, Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palejo criticised MQM for staging the walk out. Incidentally, she said that as soon as MQM lawmakers marched off, Speaker of the Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro immediately ruled that the police briefing was over.
She asserted that after she raised objection over abruptly ending the briefing, the speaker resumed the session. Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon found it difficult to deny what had happened at the briefing. He accused certain legislators of deviating from their oaths and said that they should have kept the matters discussed at the briefing secret.
He insisted that the government had not dropped any case against any outlaw. He said the PPP-MQM alliance would continue, adding that the government would take its partner into confidence on withdrawal of cases. "MQM is and will remain a coalition partner," he said.
However, sources said MQM's walk out had been 'planned' during the secret briefing by the Inspector-General Sindh Police and the Secretary of the Sindh Home Department on Karachi violence.
Opposition lawmakers also expressed concern over MQM's protest. They said that MQM lawmakers had walked out just after the Home Department's Secretary blamed activists of all major political parties for the violence in the city. Sources quoted the provincial police chief as saying that Taliban were involved in bomb blasts and extortion.