Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday hinted that after terrorism his government is also devising a 'National Action Plan (NAP)' to cope with the "complex" challenges the country is facing on the economic front. About the outcome of his Governor House meeting to review law and order situation in Sindh with regard to the ongoing war of words between PPP and MQM, the prime minister said certain decisions had been made to address the grievances of the estranged parties.
-- PM urges MQM, PPP to remove mutual rancour, bitterness for greater cause of peace in Karachi The premier, however, was categorical that work on the NAP would continue as all and not one political party had signed the National Plan to take on extremism and terrorism effectively.
His surprise visit to Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) this afternoon saw the prime minister meeting the KSE management and other stakeholders to discuss certain incentives the government was weighing. In a post-meeting briefing in the KSE's trading hall, the prime minister said "all" political stakeholders had agreed to also convene an All-Party Conference (APC) to discuss the "economy, energy and other issues".
"The decisions of APC would be referred to the Parliament to formulate a consensus policy," the PM said. Flanked by finance minister Dar, CM Sindh Qaim Ali Shah, MQM's MNA Dr Farooq Sattar and Senator Babar Ghauri and management and senior stock brokers of KSE, Sharif said while special courts were ready to start trying the accused in terrorism-related cases, the economy was facing 'complex' challenges on its path of progress.
The prime minister was pleased to tell reporters that during his 18-month rule the KSE's benchmark index had rallied to a record 34,606 points from 19,916 points since May 2013. "There are no easy solutions to the complex economic challenges we are trying to solve," he said adding the lingering power crisis was being addressed with due diligence to be ended by the end of his tenure.
Also, the prime minister said, the supply of gas would improve with the import of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) for which new pipelines were being laid. "We are bringing LNG to run our industries. LNG plants would be set up within the next two to three months," Sharif said. By the end of his government's tenure, the prime minister thought, Pakistan would have a surplus power.
About his early morning's mediation effort at Governor's House, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said overall law and order situation was reviewed at the meeting wherein some decisions were taken. MQM's Babar Ghauri and Dr Farooq Sattar looked on with strained faces as PM Sharif said notice had been taken of the killing of party's workers, Sohail Ahmed and Faraz, the latter in police custody.
IG Sindh police, he said, had been tasked to investigate the two cases and file a report within the next 30 days. Giving credit to 'team captain' CM Qaim Ali Shah and security institutions, the premier said law and order situation in the province, especially in Karachi, had improved considerably. "We discussed the MQM's concerns in detail," he told reporters. In a veiled reference to MQM's earlier statement that the military courts would be used against its political workers, Sharif stressed that the broadly-consented NAP would be worked on in any case.
"The National Action Plan, under which special courts have been set up, carries the signatures of all and not one party," he said, adding the judicial commission formed by CM Shah would ascertain facts about extra-judicial killings of MQM workers within the next few weeks. Urging the two estranged parties to address the grievances of each other, Sharif said conspiracy was being hatched to create 'mistrust' between the once political allies: PPP and MQM. "We should guard against it".
The prime minister said an MQM-PPP coalition in Sindh always augured well for the economy and law and order. "I have been talking on these lines. Politics and power stands noting to me. We are one party and would take all along," the premier said. To a query, the prime minister hinted that Saturday (today) he would announce a significant cut in the prices of petroleum products to let the benefits of falling international crude oil prices trickle down to the masses. Ogra, Thursday, recommended a 10 percent decrease in the retail prices of petroleum products. Fuel shortage in Punjab, he told a reporter, lasted for not more than 2-3 days for which active action had been taken against those responsible.
Asked for his take on India's aggression on the Line of Control and ensuing visit of US President Barrack Obama to the BJP-ruled neighbouring country, the prime minister said Pakistan was focused more on the ongoing operation Zarb-e-Azb. "The decisive war Pakistan is fighting is bearing good results. We are coming out of these [strategic] difficulties," he said adding Pakistan also was able to avoid a violent "blowback" expected from militants in the wake of military offensive.