KARACHI: The authorities are going to follow an 'uncompromising' policy on the enforcement of law and order after the imposition of emergency in the country, the police chief of this biggest city of Pakistan said on Sunday.
"We are going to have a zero tolerance policy towards miscreants trying to defy the emergency orders and create a law and order situation," Azhar Ali Farooqi said as the security forces continued to round up opposition leaders, lawyers and others opposed to the imposition of emergency.
Pakistani authorities have already arrested the top leader of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party Javed Hashmi and cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan from Saturday night besides scores of other activists.
Security sources said that there would be a 'zero tolerance' policy regarding Islamic militants.
Farooqi said there would be no leniency shown to anyone trying to disturb the law and order situation. "If necessary force will be used to contain miscreants," he said.
Karachi, Pakistan's commercial hub, of late has largely remained aloof to strike calls from opposition parties and lawyers and continues to be the stronghold of the Mutthaida Qaumi Movement, the Urdu-speaking dominated party.
The patrolling by police and paramilitary Rangers was increased in Karachi on Sunday although the people largely appeared unconcerned with the political unrest in the country.
Hashmi before being arrested in the central city of Multan said that Musharraf's days are numbered. He said the time has come to end the political role of the army.
Opposition parties have also called a strike in the southwestern province of Balochistan on Monday. Tariq Mehmood, a leading anti-Musharraf lawyer, told a TV channel before being arrested that many lawyers had been detained.
