Musharraf in Karachi vows to curb Kalashnikov culture

Karachi: President Pervez Musharraf yesterday held talks with officials in Karachi to defuse tension caused by the May 12 clashes, which left more than 50 people dead, officials said.

President Musharraf said if suspended chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had declined to come to Karachi on that day no lives would have been lost in the city.

"The opposition is playing politics in this year of elections and they have politicised the judicial matter," he added.

Weapons

Musharraf said Kalashnikov culture has been rampant in the country for the last 30 to 35 years.

"We want to disarm the people. We told them to surrender arms and they deposited their arms with the authorities but the miscreants didn't surrender their weapons," he added. "Now the government would set such strategy under which arms will be taken from all of them."

He said the people are satisfied with the steps taken by the government and they want development.

"The government would continue its policies to resolve problems of the people," Musharraf added.

He announced Rs600,000 (Dh35,536) compensation for the next of kin of each person killed in the May 12 incidents. He also announced Rs100,000 for each person injured.

Differences

Musharraf denied any ethnic dispute in Karachi adding that ethnic colour has been given to the differences among various political parties.

Musharraf directed the provincial government to prepare a comprehensive strategy for maintaining law and order in the province especially in Karachi.

He announced full federal support to the provincial government in this respect. Musharraf met top officials of law enforcement agencies and later chaired a meeting of people from a cross-section of the society.