Miliband condemns Karachi violence
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI. January 11. KAZINFORM. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Sunday condemned the recent killings in Pakistan's financial hub of Karachi and called for negotiations between political parties in a bid to reverse the tide of violence; Kazinform refers to Arab News.
More than 48 people have been killed in the port city of around 18 million since Thursday - most of them affiliated with the feuding ruling political allies.
Zardari said Britain and Pakistan needed to work closely to further strengthen their partnership in various areas, particularly in trade and investment and education.
Zardari said any initiative on Afghanistan should ensure territorial integrity of the country, national reconciliation and peace and stability and that its soil was not used against any of its neighbors.
Lawmakers from the Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the dominant political party in Karachi, asked their leadership to quit the ruling coalition led by Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) over the "irresponsible attitude" toward the killings.
The targeted killings by unidentified gunmen began after the headless body of a worker from MQM was discovered on Thursday. "At least 48 workers belonging to different political parties have lost lives in the targeted killings in the city since Thursday," a senior security official said.
Miliband had arrived in Pakistan on Saturday to hold talks over counter-terrorism efforts, especially the fight against the Taleban insurgency near the Afghan border.
His visit comes ahead of an international conference on Afghanistan scheduled to be held in London on Jan. 28; Kazinform cites Arab News. See www.arabnews.com for full version.