The opposition staged a walkout form the Senate’s proceedings in protest against an increase in prices of petroleum products. – Photo by APP (File)

ISLAMABAD: Coalition partners Awami National Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement accused each other in the Senate on Monday of destabilising Karachi and creating a law and order situation in the city.

The ANP demanded cancellation of national identity cards issued to thousands of illegal ‘foreigners’ and use of army to dismantle weapons and land mafias, while the MQM said the demands were a continuation of ANP’s opposition to Pakistan and Pakistanis.

Initiating a debate on a motion on the law and order situation, ANP’s acting president Haji Mohammad Adeel said it appeared that the ‘law of the jungle’ prevailed in Karachi. He asked that if troops could be called in to quell militancy in Malakand why couldn’t they be asked to end lawlessness in Karachi?

He said his party was ready to let any of its members be punished if found involved in illegal activities. He called for action to eliminate weapons and land grabbers irrespective of the party or the patrons of the violators.

He demanded cancellation of identity cards issued to Bengalis in Karachi as had been done with about 80,000 Afghans across the country.

The ANP leader said that about five million foreigners, most of them Bengalis, were living in Karachi.

Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri said those who had opposed Pakistan were now opposing Bengalis who were as patriotic as anyone else and had voted for Pakistan before anyone else and had rendered sacrifices for the country.

Referring to ANP’s demand for calling troops to weed out weapons, he said: “If they say their children listen to gunshots before Azan, they should also bear others if they defend themselves with arms.”

Afrasyab Khattak of the ANP accused the MQM of plundering Karachi through ‘bhatta mafia’ and patronising ‘foreigners’ to make them their voters.

Prof Ibrahim Khan criticised both the parties and said that the use of armed forces was neither a solution to the problems of Malakand nor of Karachi.

He demanded investigation into the incidents of May 12 and Oct 18, 2007, in Karachi and Dec 27 the same year in Rawalpindi.

PETROL PRICES: The opposition staged a walkout in protest against an increase in prices of petroleum products and some members belonging to parties in the ruling coalition also criticised the decision and complained that they had not been consulted.

MQM’s Babar Ghauri and Haseeb Khan, ANP’s Ilyas Bilour and JUI-F’s Dr Ismail Buledi said the decision was a crushing blow for people already suffering from skyrocketing prices.

Leader of the House Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari said the decision had been taken by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority which was an autonomous body. The house offered Fateha for former president Sardar Farooq Leghari.