Kayani rules out army operation in Karachi
23 November, 2012
KARACHI: Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has said that there is no need of a military operation in Karachi, and noted that Rangers were performing their duties well in the city. Kayani was apparently responding to the demands from politicians to launch army operation in Karachi. He clarified that the civilian government must make a demand under the constitution, as army cannot take control of the city by itself. The COAS said that military contingents are ready to help maintain stability during Muharram, adding that they will cooperate in every possible manner with the civil administration. He noted that military is deployed in the sensitive areas of the country. On Wednesday, IG Sindh Fayyaz Leghari said an army operation should not be conducted in Karachi, adding that the capacity of the already present paramilitary forces in the city should be increased. He said that the army will not be called in during Muharram and has only been asked to remain on standby. Earlier, lawmakers from the Awami National Party demanded an immediate military operation in the troubled city, saying that the Sindh government had failed, while Karachi's ruling party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), staged walkouts from both houses of parliament to register its protest against the government's inaction. End.
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