KARACHI: Following the death of 39 people in Karachi, the rangers have been awarded special powers under Anti-Terrorism Act in the limit of 26 police stations to halt the rising incidents of violence in the city.

Section 144 has already been put into effect in these areas, while permissions granted for carrying arms have also been cancelled.

According to authorities, nine more people were shot dead in Pirabad, Sarjani Town, Liaquatabad, Buffer Zone, Mangho Pir, Sir Syed Town, Azizabad and PECH, after which the five-day death toll mounted to 39.

Tension gripped the affected areas, while enraged people staged protest in Nazimabad, Karimabad and other areas.

Earlier, Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik chaired a high-level meeting called to discuss security situation in Karachi.

KARACHI: Sindh Assembly session witnessed rousing tumult, as the members hailing from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) staged a walkout in protest against harsh speeches by Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza and Local Bodies Minister Siraj Durrani, Geo News reported Tuesday.

Both the leaders delivered emotionally charged speeches at the floor; but, the MQM members were not allowed to respond. Reacting to this, the MQM members went out of the house in protest.

Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed of MQM tried to give his statement in reaction to the fiery speeches by the Home Minister and the LB minister; but, he was stopped short by Acting Speaker Shehla Raza, saying she is running the House in accordance with the rules.

Dr Sagheer said his party condemns the killings of 125 party workers in one year, adding the Speaker is showing partiality. Later on, Muttahida members raised slogans and walked out of the House.

The session has been paused for the moment, as Senior Minister Pir Mazharul Haq, Jam Madad Ali, Murad Ali Shah and Ayas Soomro are making efforts to bring them round.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani today spoke to Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain on phone and discussed with him issues regarding Sindh Assembly’s incident.

According to a statement issued from MQM’s London Secretariat, Prime Minster Gilani has regretted the inappropriate behavior of PPP provincial ministers during the Sindh Assembly’s session.

Speaking to Altaf Hussain, the premier said that President Asif Ali Zardari, taking strict notice of the incident, reprimanded provincial ministers Agha Siraj Durrani and Zulfiqar Ali Mirza and stopped them from making any provocative statement.

Gilani said he met with President Zardari immediately after the Sindh Assembly’s chaos and informed him about the unfortunate incident. The prime minister deplored that better atmosphere of reconciliation created after President Zardari’s meeting with MQM was spoiled.

“President Asif Ali Zardari has reprimanded Agha Siraj Durrani and Zulfiqar Ali Mirza in front of me. We all want to go along together, but you two are destroying my reconciliatory policy,” Gilani told Altaf.

The prime minister continued: “I have no doubt in my mind that we will be partners in future also and we don’t want to waste our strength by opposing the MQM.”

He opined that the PPP-MQM alliance had given a strength to the business community.

Meanwhile, MQM chief Altaf Hussain thanked the Prime Minister for taking immediate notice of the incident and assured that he would ask his party to maintain policy of reconciliation.

MULTAN: Member of MQM Coordination Committee Iftikhar Akbar Randhawa Saturday claimed that the public meeting of his party scheduled to be held in Lahore on February 28 will prove that MQM is not just a party of Sindh but of the entire Pakistan.

He said this while talking to journalists here at Multan Press Club.

Iftkhar Akbar Randhawa said MQM is the only political party that is struggling for the rights of 98 percent people belonging to the poor segments of the society.

He said Altaf Hussain aspires for establishment of a system based on justice by eliminating price hike, unemployment and corruption.

The NRO mudslinging competition continues to go on, each party/individual boldly underplaying his/her own association with the controversial bill. What seriously amazes me, is that we still do not have access to the full and complete list of beneficiaries and are at the receiving end of confusing reports where the totals have seemingly fluctuated from a mere initial 600 to a now whopping 8000, seriously that’s one hell’uva discrepancy. While our two-timing politicians undermine their own headcount to say its between 34 to 300 victims, probably they hope to rely on the confusing mess to numb out the issue from the minds of the people of Pakistan. Such rampant corruption which as literally debilitated this nation, it is probably their right to know was eligible for this executive presidential pardon issued by Pervaiz Musharraf and its all the more important to know who cashed it in and what precisely was waived off, in the name of politically reconciliation.

The mudslinging is for now centered on some kingpins from the PPP but in the confusion it seems MQM is trying its damnedest to sneak under the media-frenzy hoping to walk away with mere statements like “National Accountability Bureau has no case against any MQM worker“. Karachi is a witness to the anarchy of the good ‘ol terror-filled days courtesy of the MQM. The time frame for pardoning of all criminal cases charged against them ironically range from 1986 and onwards.