Law & order worst in Pak: Kayani

Islamabad (PTI): The Pakistan Army is concerned over the "rapidly deteriorating" law and order situation across the country and has sought "urgent steps" from the President to deal with the situation from spiralling out of control.A meeting of army's top brass chaired by Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Thursday reviewed the internal security situation in the wake of a series of devastating terror attacks against Shias in Quetta and Karachi that killed nearly 250 people. Shortly after the meeting, Kayani met President Asif Ali Zardari to "communicate the disquiet among his commanders about the security situation spiralling out of control", the Dawn newspaper quoted its sources as saying.Expressing concern over the "rapidly deteriorating" situation, he sought from President Zardari "urgent steps" to deal with the situation. A brief statement issued by the presidency only said Kayani and Zardari had discussed the security situation but did not give details. Reports in several Pakistani dailies said the army chief used the meeting to tell Zardari about the concerns of his commanders over the worsening law and order situation in Karachi, the country's financial hub.On Wednesday, Kayani had visited Karachi to assess the situation in the city where sectarianism attacks on the minority Shia sect have added a new dimension to continuing violence that has claimed scores of lives since last year. Media reports said that during his meeting with Zardari, Kayani discussed the recent attacks on Shias in Quetta and Karachi and an operation against the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which has claimed most of the attacks. Kayani spoke about the "improper and inefficient" use of civilian law enforcement agencies by the federal and provincial governments in dealing with terrorism, the Dawn quoted sources in the presidency as saying.

PM urges stern action against all militants Citing a series of recent attacks on minority Shias in Pakistan, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has directed authorities to take "stern action" against all banned militant groups, saying such assaults were bringing a bad name to the country and Islam. "Directions have been issued for carrying out stern action against all the banned outfits without any discrimination not only by me but by the President as well," he said in his opening remarks at a meeting of his cabinet. "Those who are perpetrating these heinous acts are not only attempting to weaken our social fabric and democratic culture, they are also bringing a bad name to Pakistan and Islam," he said on Thursday.Pakistan People's Party-led government, which is set to complete its five-year term on March 16, has come in for strong criticism for its failure to prevent attacks on the minority Shia sect. A devastating bomb blast in the Shia neighbourhood of Abbas Town in Karachi killed 48 people and injured scores more on March 3. Nearly 200 people, a majority of them Shia Hazaras, were killed in two bombings in the southwestern city of Quetta in the first two months of the year. Those attacks triggered countrywide protests by Shia groups and rights bodies. The government has been criticised for failing to crack down on the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which claimed the attacks in Quetta.