ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is chairing an All Parties Conference to discuss Pak-China Economic Corridor project with the national leadership.
At the onset of the conference, MQM lawmaker Khalid Maqbool Siddqiui suggested his peers to postpone the meeting and accompany him to Karachi where gunmen killed over 45 people in an attack on a bus carrying members of the Ismaili Community.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said terrorists attacked those who played a key role in Pakistan’s development. “We have to take strict decisions,” PM Sharif said before seeking the opinion of other participants whether the moot should be postponed to another day.
The majority decided to visit Karachi following a brief session at the All Parties Conference.
Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said: “We failed in transforming our political friendship with China into a trade friendship despite the fact that Pak-China friendship has been a foundation of our foreign policy”.
He said Pak-China Economic Corridor is a long term project and will cater to Pakistan’s needs.
PM summons report from Interior Ministry
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the horrific attack in Karachi. The prime minister has notice of the incident and summoned a report from the Interior Ministry.
Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah has announced Rs500,000 for the families of the deceased and Rs 200,000 for the injured. The chief minister has also announced that medical treatment would be provided to the wounded free of cost.
“This attack was carried out in a planned way by terrorists. Hopefully they will be traced,” he said.
Shah also issued orders to suspend the Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Station House Officer (SHO) of the area where the incident took place.
DG Rangers briefs Interior Minister
Interior Minister Chaurdhy Nisar Ali Khan spoke with Director General Sindh Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar.
The DG told the minister that the paramilitary force is trying to arrest the attackers on the basis of evidence gathered by investigators so far.
Political, religious leaders condemn attack
Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid strongly condemned the attack saying that terrorists were “neither Muslim nor Pakistani”. The information minister urged the political leadership of the country to speak out against this deplorable act of terrorism.