KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Muard Ali Shah has said it was the will of his government and the strategic partnership between the military and civilian gov-ernment that the apex committee succeeded in restoring peace to the city.

`This strategic partnership worked well because of being on the same page in implementing the National Action Plan. This operation will continue till the last terrorist exists,` declared the chief minister while presiding over a special apex committee meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting was specially convened to review the operation as two senior apex committee members, Corps Commander LtGen Naveed Mukhtar and DG Rangers Maj Gen Bilal Akbar, would soon relinquish their current positions to join their new assignments as DG ISI and Chief of General Staff, respectively. Besides the two army generals, others present at the meeting were Senior Minister Nisar Khuhro, Advisers to Chief Minister Maula Bux Chandio, Murtaza Wahab, Sindh IG A.D.

Khowaja, Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi, Karachi Commissioner Aijaz Ali Khan, provincial heads of intelligence agencies andother officers.

The chief minister said since the inception of the apex committee, the coordination of the Sindh government with the corps commander and the DG Rangers defined the civil-military relationship in a new dynamic way. `This working relationship translated into peace in the city,` he said.

`When we started this journey [apex committee] the law & order situation was very bad, there was unrest among the people ofthis city as terrorists and other criminals had established their sway in different areas,` he said.

`Now things have improved considerably, the government has won public confidence in our law enforcement agencies, business activities have started flourishing and important events/days such as Muharram, Chehlum, Chup Tazia, Ideas 2016, CPEC Trade Convoy, Rabiul Awwal passed peacefully.

`For this, credit goes to our political leadership and this forum where decisions were taken with collective wisdom and implemented or being implemented in true letter and spirit,` he said.

The chief minister assured the corps commander and the DG Rangers that work under the NAP would be completed as the sacrifices of the armed forces and law enforcers would not be allowed to go in vain at any cost. The apexcommittee would continue to work with the support of the successors of Lt Gen Mukhtar and Lt Gen Akbar, `but I would need your support from the positions where you have been posted,` he said.

Recalling the performance of the Rangers, Lt Gen Akbar told the apex committee that they arrested some key leaders of Al Qaida, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and other proscribed organisations.

He said 1,474 terrorists and 9,053 hitmen were arrested during the operation. Some of them confessed to have killed hundreds of people while some others told the investigating officials that each of them had murdered two to three persons. Besides, he said, the Rangers arrested 438 extortionists and115 kidnappers.

On his recommendation, he said, the chief minister decided to launch an operation against drug mafia and those who were involved in sectarian killings under the garb of religion.

The Rangers DG said some peo-ple had made the communities hostage by installing barriers on streets and roads which the Rangers got removed. He said the number of targeted killings in the city in Nov 2012 was 75 which dropped to29in Nov2013 and12 in Nov 2015, while there were nine targeted killings during the last month. He added: `Karachi can be made more secure if proper capacity building of the police is made.

Appreciating the efforts of the relevant authorities, Lt Gen Mukhtar said the best achievement of the Karachi operation was the change in the life of common man. The results of the joint efforts of the government, the army, the Rangers, police and intelligence agencies were very much clear on the ground for which the apex committee deserved a lot of appreciation, he said.

He added: `We have travelled a long distance and cannot return without ensuring sustainable peace in the city.`The corps com-mander said this operation would be more successful if the police were strengthened. He appreciated the chief minister for recruiting around 12,000 policemen on merit. `Today I along with IG Police A.D. Khwaja visited the training centres where newly recruited policemen were receiving army training. I found the police jawan energetic and vibrant and their morale was high,` he said. `If the police force is expanded with the appointment of 20,000 policemen on merit, the image and performance of the police would speal( loudly,` he added.

Lt Gen Mukhtar also said that operation against drug mafia was need of hour and strict action against street crime be initiated but with proper planning.

He said that why the city had turned into a violent city must also be probed. `We must learn from our mistakes and should resolve not to repeat those mistakes again,` he added.He appreciatedthe effective role the former chief minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, former governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and former chief secretary and other officers had played in implementing apex committee decisions.

Also, the corps commander lauded the chief minister for convening the special meeting to sum up the performance of the present apex committee and set new targets of operation with new vigour.

`I would be supporting you from the position which I would take over,` he vowed.

Senior minister Nisar Khuhro said Karachi was being focused and termed a dangerous city of the world but with the grace of God and collective work of civil and military leadership this city turned peaceful.

Later, the chief minister presented the traditional Sindhi cap, Ajrak and other gifts to the corps commander and the Rangers DG as this was the last apex committee meeting that the two officers had attended in their current positions.