Sindh leaders will meet to restore order in Karachi

Islamabad: The government of Pakistan's southern Sindh province has decided to convene an all-party conference next week as part of ongoing efforts to restore peace and order to the provincial capital, Karachi.

Provincial officials said the conference, an initiative of the Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, would be held in Karachi next Wednesday.

The ruling coalition in Sindh is led by the Pakistan People's Party, with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Awami National Party (ANP) being partners in the government.

Growing fear

A surge in targeted killings in Karachi this month has claimed dozens of lives, spreading fear among the residents and exposing the parties in power to criticism over the deteriorating law and order in the country's industrial and financial hub.

Paramilitary Rangers, a federal force which has been authorised by the provincial government to undertake policing functions in Karachi, conducted a lightening search operation in Organi town area of the city Wednesday, taking hundreds of suspects into custody.