Benazir’s wish for foreign probe nixed
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday categorically rejected the demand by Pakistan People’s Party to seek foreign assistance in investigating the Karachi Bomb blasts. The Prime Minister expressed confidence in the expertise of the Law Enforcing Agencies and said that the investigation being carried out would lead us to the perpetuators. He said that the tragic incident of October 18 in Karachi is being investigated and the culprits will be brought to book. In past incidents of similar nature our security agencies had successfully investigated and arrested the perpetuators and are fully capable of investigating such untoward incident themselves, he added.
Talking to a group of Federal Ministers who met him in his office at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat here on Monday, Shaukat Aziz said that PML and its coalition partners are confident of their success in the upcoming elections due to their performance and quality of candidates. The Prime Minister said that PML its allies believe in transparency and good governance to bring about a change in the life of the people. The continuity and consistency of reforms policies introduced by the government would improve the standard of living of the people, by creating greater job opportunities and enhancing economic activities, he added.
While highlighting the development and prosperity brought about in the rural areas of the country, Shaukat Aziz said that the infrastructural development and provision of basis facilities, like education, health, electricity and clean drinking water in the rural areas have been at historic level. The meeting also discussed the need for proper Code of Conduct for the political activities before, during and after the upcoming elections. He emphasized upon closer coordination between the law enforcing agencies and the political parties so that appropriate security plans could be prepared which are strictly adhered to by all the parties.
The meeting also condoled the death of innocent persons who lost lives in the Karachi bomb blasts and prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed souls in peace and give courage to the bereaved families to bear the loss. The meeting was attended by the Minister for Food and Agricultural Sikandar Hayat Bosan, Minister for Environment Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghouri, Minister for Science and Technology Ch. Nouaiz Shakoor, Minister for Privatization Commission Wasi Zafar, Minister for Communication Shahmim Siddiqui and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Tariq Javed.
Government has rejected Benazir Bhutto demand for seeking help from foreign security agencies to probe into Karachi carnage and made it clear Pakistani agencies will carry out investigation. This was told by Interior minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao while talking to the journalists here Monday at Aabpara community centre.
Responding to a question he said inquiry into Karachi tragedy would not be got conducted by the foreign security agencies. “ We reject her demand. Our investigation teams and intelligence agencies were fully capable to investigate into it.
Several assassination attempts were made on the president, prime minister and I and Pakistani teams conducted probe into these attacks. We want now too that our own agencies carry out investigation into Karachi carnage”, he noted.