A dissection by "Syed Kashif Nawaz" of the Story named “Karachi’s Beirut-style civil war – by Jan Assakzai”
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While reading the online “Daily Times” of Thursday, May 27, 2010, I had come across an article of a so-called London based analyst “Jan Assakzai”. After reading the small but hateful write-up the writer would easily be counted as a Pakhtoon Nationalist rather then an Analyst.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\05\27\story_27-5-2010_pg3_4
Below are my comments for the review of the respected Analyst:
While raising the issue of target killing in Karachi the analyst have totally ignored the Numbers of MQM workers and supporters who have been killed during the same wave of violence and tried to portray as in Karachi only the Pakhtoon Populace is being targeted.
It is also nave that writer have tried to prove the battle is between MQM and Pakhtoon Community which is also a biased approach as the ANP leader Asfandyar Wali’s statement is on the record wherein he had stated that:
“There are countless Pakhtoons in MQM....”
[video=youtube;sAvBcEfMVQo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAvBcEfMVQo"]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAvBcEfMVQo[/video]
The writer also has claimed an astonishing figure of Pakhtoon Populatioin in Karachi which is allegedly 7 Millon out of a total population of 17 Million. Both the figures are estimates and needs to be verified by the independent sources.
Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia reveals the following facts:
Year --- Urban population
1856 56,875
1872 56,753
1881 73,560
1891 105,199
1901 136,297
1911 186,771
1921 244,162
1931 300,799
1941 435,887
1951 1,068,459
1961 1,912,598
1972 3,426,310
1981 5,208,132
1998 9,269,265
2007 14,500,000 *
* Karachi City Government
estimate, retrieved 13 February 2008.
As per the census of Pakistan 1998, the linguistic distribution of the city is:
Urdu = (48.52%),
Punjabi = (13.94%),
Pashto = (11.42%),
Sindhi = (7.22%),
Balochi = (4.34%),
Saraiki = (2.11%); and
Other = (12.44%).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Karachi
Based on the percentage above and the total population of the city in 1998 if we calculate the Pakhtoon Population, it will not be more then 1.05 Million!!!
Isn’t it surprising that only 10 years back the Pakhtoon Population was 1.05 Million and now someone is claiming it is 7.0 Million? If we accept this claim as true then it would be an affirmation of the general reservations and statements that people from other parts of the country are shifting towards big cities which is not only increasing the problems of the cities but also proves that their local Govts. have failed in providing them facilities in their own areas.
An another site estimates the population of Karachi is 26.99 Million as on May 2010, if we measure the Pakhtoon population at 11.42% of the total population, still it reaches to 3 Million, insisting on above this figure will re-affirm the Local Inhabitant’s Reservations!!!
http://www.trueknowledge.com/q/population_of_karachi_2010
It seems that the writer is of the opinion that every race, sect and nation is against Pashtuns.
I don’t know from where the writer had bought this idea as till date most of the “Tea Hotels” and “Dhaabas” are still owned by Pakhtoon People even in Urdu Speaking dominated areas which are considered as MQM’s strong hold areas! Most of the “Chawkidar” and Security Guards are pakhtoons till date!
The writer blatantly not only ignored all the violence new settlers around from the country had spread in Karachi specially those who unfortunately belonged to a specific Group, but also in a paragraph the so-called analyst ignoring all the authentic and analyzed news tried to repeat the same old stories wherein people used to portray MQM as “Ghost” and blame it for everything, even if a Husband Divorce his wife in a distant city! (Lolzz..)
MQM has been tried to hold responsible for the incident of 12 May 2007 ignoring the fact that 14 out of 48 dead are of MQM. MQM had announced the list of its workers who had been killed that day, but till date no other party have even issued any list of their workers!!!
Also please note that the Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry had been offered a Helicopter from Airport till bar council, which he himself refused and returned back!
At one hand the writer has not only blamed MQM for violence, but also held responsible for torture on its own people, at other hand learned analyst not only ignored all the violence of a specific group which used to spread violence in the city but also have given a free hand for taking revenge and spreading militancy! At a point it feels that the writer instead of creating harmony among the masses is trying to ignite the people for violence and civil war!
It seems that writer at any cost wants to either diminish MQM or at least decrease its political power, and is scared of its increasing popularity in Pakhtoon Masses. It is evident by his Nave demands to re-draw the Pakhtoon constituencies or demarcation of existing constituencies where MQM have marvelous support! May be writer is more concerned about to harm MQM rather then to benefit Pakhtoon Community, therefore instead of highlighting the positive facts and trying to create a peaceful environment, try to agitate people against each other would be evidenced.
I would request the learned analyst to please answer the following:
- If Pakhtoons are discriminated in Balochistan why didn’t you demand the same for there? Because a number of Pashto Speaking Tribes are originally Baloch, for example "Kakar"!
- Should there be the same system in every city of Pakistan where there should be Qouta of employment, education, and political power for the minority groups?
a) If YES then for which other cities you demanded the same?
b) If NO then why this discrimination with Karachi only?
- Why in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, the Hazarwal Minority Group is being discriminated? Don’t you think the same system should be there in KPK as well to facilitate and equate Hazarwal with Pakhtoons? And the same system should be there in Punjab to equate Saraeki, Kashmiri and Urdu Speaking people with the Majority Punjabi Speaking People? The same system should be there in Internal Sindh to equate Urdu Speaking and Baloch People with Native Sindhi Speaking People? Why insisting to implement this system in Karachi only? Isn’t it a biased approach?
- Are you unaware of the hatred and violence of ANP towards not only Urdu Speaking People but also against other communities like Hazarwal, who are been discriminated by ANP in KPK but also attacked by ANP in Karachi last month!
- Also please note that Pakhtoon are not even save in their home province, why don’t you take any move to save them first in KPK and Balochistan; also bear in mind an ANP leader had stated Pakhtoons are being treated as Terrorists in Punjab! Instead of agitating people why don’t you do something to correct this image in Punjab?
Regarding your concern for Pakhtoon Community, I would suggest you it is not a good idea first we displace any community from its native place and then try to settle it in a totally new place with a totally different environment, weather, culture and political background. Those Pakhtoons who re living for decades in Karachi or any other part of Pakistan have been settled long ago, but those who are displaced recently should be settled in their own territory, as it will be not only convenient for them but also would not increase the burden on Big Cities, as the Authorities in Native Place are all responsible to provide them with Education, Security and Opportunity for Living!!!
Regards
