The participants of Pina seminar on the worsening Karachi situation unanimously resolved that a Karachi Dialogue Committee should be constituted in the Parliament to undertake persistent dialogue between all political parties and stakeholders to restore peace in Karachi on permanent basis.
The participants offered fateha for all the victims of the ongoing target killings in Karachi and expressed sympathy and solidarity with its people with earnest desire for peace, progress and prosperity of Karachi and Sindh province. The seminar was presided by Senator S.M. Zafar and addressed by Syed Fakhar Imam, Lieutenant General Naseer Akhtar (Retd), Naimat Ullah Khan (ex Nazim-e-Aala Karachi), Ehsan Wyne Secretary General ANP, Zaeem Qadri PML(N) leader, Sajjad Mir and Altaf Hasan Qureshi Secretary General Pina.
The speakers identified that lack of tolerance, absence of rule of law, bad governance and unequal distribution of powers and resources and emerging role of drugs, weapons and land mafias, trust deficit between various stakeholders and foreign hidden hand were the main cause of the prevailing anarchy like situation in Karachi.
The participants suggested that following steps should be adopted as a strategy to maintain law and order and for the establishment of peace in the city. Deweaponisation of the city should be the first step because according to international reports Karachi has the highest weapons density in the world, which has created a culture of violence. This aspects need to addressed on top priority basis. Federal and provincial governments with the aid of FIA and Military Intelligence agencies should deweaponize Karachi and effectively control the weapons mafia. Peace committees involving government agencies and civil society be organised in Karachi to ensure peace at the local level.
The situation should be handled through political dialogue at the national level and the top political leadership should stay for longer time in Karachi to sort out peace modalities. Army operation should be avoided at all cost and federal/provincial law enforcement agencies (Police/Rangers) should be geared up against disruptive forces. Culprits involved in terrorist acts in Karachi should be awarded exemplary punishment through scientific methods wherein judges and the accused do not come face to face.-PR