No compromise on Karachi peace efforts: Pakistan PM

Islamabad, Aug 20: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that the Karachi operation, which will complete its three years next month, was not going to end any time soon and there would be no compromise on efforts aimed at restoring peace to the city.

He promised that there would be no delays in the release of funds for the ongoing federal government-funded projects in the city, officials and sources said.

The fresh resolve came during his daylong visit to Karachi on Friday which was primarily aimed at launching of the Pakistan Navy Fleet Tanker at the Karachi Ship­yard and Engineering Works (KSEW) built with the cooperation of Turkey, Dawn online reported.

But in a brief meeting with the Sindh governor and the chief minister, Sharifconveyed the agenda of a meeting scheduled for August 23 which would seek inputs from the provinces for implementation of the next phase of the National Action Plan against terrorism.

"The prime minister was briefed about the security situation in Karachi in particular and in the province in general," Dawn online quoted an official as saying.

He appreciated the efforts of the law-enforcement agencies and vowed to offer every possible cooperation to achieve the target of lasting peace," he added.

The Karachi operation started in September 2013 at a time when criminality, targeted killing and kidnapping for ransom were at their peak in the city.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, during the operation over 12,000 people were arrested in more than 7,000 raids conducted by the Pakistan Rangers, out of which 6,000 people were handed over to police.

The biggest terrorist groups operating in Karachi are Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi which conducted attacks in the city in collusion with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Dawn online added.

IANS