A few days ago one Uzair Baluch proudly sitting with a Turban on a Pakistani TV channel is seen sitting in lavish surrounding of his home. Seated proudly he boasted about the grace of god but failed short of mentioning the grace of his henchmen who have kept the city of Karachi by its throat in the last few years to make him a rich man.
When I am writing this piece only 50 of the 300,000 AK 47’s distributed by PPP government’s main fall guy Zulfiqar Mirza has been recovered. 9 days later only 6 henchmen are dead, 20 arrested. Uzair looks as defiant as ever. Round 1 has ended. Sorry to say but Police has failed to make much ground. A reporter categorically said after spending PKR 10.0 Million in this time 98% of the ammunition got wasted.
Pakistan’s interior minister has widened the doubt on TTP and BLA separatists. Looks like Round 2 should be a bigger offensive otherwise. The level of defiance shown by the armed men of Lyari would unsettle a lot of nerves in the city in case the law enforcement elements fail.
Whilst many might be accusing political rivalry within PPP or blaming others for this operation; the fact of the matter remains that being closest to the port and the sea belt of Karachi. This area of Lyari has been a major conduit for smuggling from abroad and for destination within Pakistan as the area also holds one of the largest Truck port as well.
Being next to the financial hub of I.I. Chundrigar road, next to the largest commercial market, closeness to Northern Bypass/Lyari Expressway and its proximity to the port makes the need of a serious operation there a must for both civil and defense purposes especially after the revelation of TTP and anti Pakistan BLA having grounding over there.
Whilst we should not forget that how Zulfiqar Mirza used People’s Aman Committee’s henchmen to unleash terror on the city of Karachi just a few months ago and massacred, maimed, raped and looted people of the heart of Pakistan for his own lust of power. Interestingly the master mind is off the scene. I am sure pulling the strings from rear.
As for Uzair Baluch who I feel thinks that he is the Robin Hood of Lyari fails to demonstrate that he read the full legend that Mr. Hood lived with his people and never lived a rich life as he gave everything back to the poor. Since he is involved in extortion, kidnapping, murder and smuggling. He by partaking a little and that too may be to the so called supporters manages to live a lavish life on his own. Doesn’t make sense isn’t it.
There is no doubt that Lyari deserved better from its leadership especially PPP. They after being so many times in power failed to develop this area and I am sure out of selfish reasons and may be incapability to deliver as well. Since they have always seen the poor and talented people of Lyari only as infantry and nothing else. In my view, they think that with a full stomach and equal opportunity they would and might exercise their right to choose their representatives intelligently and that may see PPP loose its only stronghold in Karachi. This strategy may have worked for them but is unfortunate for the poor of Lyari.
But what ever we might say. Lyari operation has to be done rightly without any foul play as its future would determine the future course of peace in Karachi. The government and the army should not undermine the strategic importance on the peace of Karachi due to Lyari; as I feel & I hope I am wrong. This might start a wrong trend in the city and with the current polarization in the city. This would be detrimental for the future of Karachi & Sindh. Wishing for a swift action and praying that the innocent of Lyari shall prevail for their betterment and a better Karachi.
Nicely written.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan should take “suo moto” action against Zulfiqar Mirza for distributing 300,000 automatic weapons to destroy the peace of Karachi.
It is interesting that when Muttahida Quomi Movement had their Governor, Interior Minister and Mayor from 2000 to 2008. There was not even one single death. But after Zulfiqar Mirza took over it all started. The Supreme Court should investigate that too.
– Adnan
pl mind it when was anwer bhahi jan,muwar suhar wardi,abdullah murad, were targetted. and when the gangs created in lyari,when brother killing started in lyari,when advocates and their clients burnt in city court,and last not the least when cj was stoped in karachi and so many innocent people were killed by whome.and mind it balochs of karachi will never bow in front of mqm the terrorist,
have u courage to write on don of karachi mr.altaf,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The eight-day long police operation
in Baloch-populated Lyari district in Karachi has created enormous
problems for ordinary citizens of the under-privileged locality. While
the operation has been temporarily halted in the wake of a 72-hour ultimatum given by Interior Minister Rehman Malik to the People’s Aman (Peace) Committee
(PPC), tensions are certain to engulf Lyari in the future. The
operation has very ambiguous and undefined motives. The government
justifies its action by claiming to be cracking down against “criminal
elements”.
Who are the criminals operating in Lyari? The Interior Minister has
provided a list of strange and unlikely bedfellows who have allegedly
constituted their bases in the area. According to the government
version, Lyari has become the hub of activities of ‘gangsters’, Taliban
as well as Baloch nationalists. Yet, the government has not been able to
achieve a breakthrough in all these eight days. No high-profile
gangster or Taliban leader has been killed or arrested in this
operation.
However, media reports indicate
that the civilian population has enormously suffered because of what
seems to be a politically-driven operation by the Pakistan People’s
Party which is currently astonished over its almost absolute demise in
what used to be one of its most popular electoral constituencies.
There is no justification for the government to kill civilians in
Lyari or deprive them of all amenities of everyday life by conducting an
operation. Even if the government claims that Lyari has become the hub
of gangs and drug traffickers are true, we would still stress the need
to listen to what the other side has to say. The people of Lyari have to
be heard. The PPP is in fact not worried about the presence of
gangsters in Lyari because they were actually formed and pampered by
itself in an effort to counter its political rival, the Muthida Quomi
Movement (MQM), a Karachi-based Mohajir-ethnic party notorious for mixing violence with politics.
What worries the PPP the most is the public demand for truth and
accountability. PPP’s voters in Liyari now ask what their party has done
for them after coming into power by the virtue of their votes. Lyari is
the most underdeveloped section of Karachi city. It reflects the
opposite side of Karachi’s larger image of a city of hope and economic
opportunities. The youth in Lyari is unemployed, uneducated and sick.
The government has done little to develop the infrastructure there to
improve people’s living conditions and give the Balochs a sense of
ownership and participation.
Only time will tell how accurate the assessment of Sindh Minister
Rafiq Engineer is who reportedly suggested to a fellow minister that
the people of Lyari would “forget everything” if they were paid Rs.
10,000, conditioning reconciliation with economic incentives. The
situation has crossed a point where mere distribution of money could
reverse the public uprising in Lyari. While the PPP’s growing
unpopularity in Lyari is noteworthy, it is equally fascinating to
speculate who will emerge as a replacement to the PPP in Liyari. Uzair Baloch, head of the PAC, has promised
to contest elections against PPP’s co-chairperson Bilawal Bhutto
Zardari, the son of President Asif Ali Zardari. This is an extraordinary
decision considering the fact that Mr. Baloch is too popular among the
youth of his town while the PPP government views him as the ‘most
wanted’ of Lyari.
Baloch nationalism has significantly risen in Lyari in the recent
times owing to its proximity to Mekran region in Balochistan. This rise
has, nonetheless, not been very politically organized. In a city like
Karachi where ethnic politics is more deep-rooted than any other place
in Pakistan, the Balochs, unlike the Mohajirs, Sindhis and the Pashtuns,
have not formed an ethnic party of their own. The Balochs are the only
major indigenous ethnic people in Karachi who did not play the ethnicity
card in the city’s politics. Since its inception, the PPP has
manipulated the Baloch vote in Karachi without ever reasonably paying
back to its voters with quality education, clean drinking water and
improved health facilities.
Silence has always remained the only answer whenever one asks why the
Balochs did not succeed in creating their own party in Karachi. There
has not been much debate about it for long but it is probably the time
to get more serious about it. Ethnicity is not always the best use of
politics but it remains critical and inevitable in a place like Karachi.
Historically, Lyari has served as the necessary of Baloch politics,
culture and literature. Even today, biggest Balochi music and film
production houses are located in Liyari. Some of the first Balochi
language newspapers and magazines, such as Monthly Sugaat, were
launched from Karachi. What has unfortunately not worked well in
Karachi is Baloch politics. Based in and confined to Balochistan, most
nationalist political parties, such as the Balochistan National Party,
the Baloch Republican Party, Baloch National Movement and the National
Party, did not make serious efforts to represent the Balochs living in
Karachi. The people of Karachi, on the other hand, have persistently
stood with their counterparts in Balochistan, who have faced a military
operation and extraordinary human rights abuses from successive
Pakistani governments, through protest rallies and all forms of peaceful
protest.
The lesson from Lyari is clear: The Balochs have to stand up for
their rights and identity. In the long term, democratic Baloch parties,
not armed gangs, must emerge to represent the people of Liyari. It is
for the people of the area to decide whether they would welcome the
Balochistan-based political parties inside Liyari or they create a new
democratic front to guard their own interest. This is indeed the time
for some important decisions in Liqyari’s politics.
mr. danish kazi shahab, try to be rational and neutral for all including mqm ok . dont fear, uncover all evils that wiil be great thing,,,, take care