canadian
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
The Karachi labyrinth
By Ali K.Chishti
In the last twenty four hours, more than 30 people belonging to various political parties had been shot dead at various places in Karachi and more than six vehicles had been torched in what is described as another cycle of violence that had struck Karachi. What distinguish the current wave of violence from the previous ones is that this wave of violence is being orchestrated only after the provinces most powerful forces, the PPP and MQM, just negotiated a deal to settle their differences and put an end to the Peoples Amn Committee, a group from Lyari that MQM had traditionally blamed for the violence in the city.
So the question is, after the liquidation of the much publicised Amn Committee, has the violence stopped in Karachi? No, on the contrary it has multiplied, confirmed a senior police official. In developed areas like Gulshan-e-Iqbal, traditionally MQM strongholds, more than eight political workers of the MQM had been shot dead while in various localities various political workers of Sunni Tehreek (ST) and ANP had been shot dead in what is described as a tit-for-tat reaction and uncontrolled violence. Intensive investigations carried out by Daily Times confirm that the recent wave of violence is a chain reaction initiated only after the target killing of two ST members, Wasim, 30, and Danish, 40, killed on February 19 at Nishtar Road in Ranchore Line, Saddar, and although, as per STs leader Sarwat Ejaz Qadri and MQM leaders background conversations on a new understanding between the two political parties, this killing of two ST workers initiated a new wave of violence. On February 28, a worker of MQM, Arsalan, was hit at Ranchore Lines by the Haqiqi faction of Sunni Tehreek, which doesnt see eye to eye with its party leadership and although the MQM found it politically convenient to blame the Peoples Amn Committee for the killing, in reality it was the rogue activists of ST who killed MQMs worker Arsalan.
What followed in a chain of events was a bloodbath with over 59 killed in March alone, which remarkably includes at least three police officials. Whereas violence had shifted from Central Karachi to other areas of Karachi, the worst hit parts of Karachi now are where MQM and ANP activists are fighting. While the Karachi police, under the directions of the provincial home minister Zulfiqar Mirza and a very active Saud Mirza are trying to curb the violence, the question remains: who is killing who in Karachi and more importantly for what? The chain of events would give our readers an idea of whats happening in Karachi. When contacted, the ST spokesman confirmed that, We are being targeted and both the government coalition members are fully aware of the situation. Its primarily the Sipa-e-Sahaba which is targeting us.
The intelligence officials in what is called the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed some time back had prepared a list of target killers with the workers of all political parties and wanted to pick up these elements but political reconciliation came in between. While the largest stakeholder in Karachi, the MQM, had been the worst hit with over fifty of its workers shot dead, other political parties like ANP, PPP and ST had suffered a toll too with over one hundred dead in political violence just in 2011.
The MQM remains completely dissatisfied with the deal they closed with the PPP of dismantling the Peoples Amn Committee in Lyari. The feeling within the MQM remains that they had been conned. A senior provincial law enforcement person confirmed to Daily Times: It seems that the criminal elements of all political parties in Karachi are fighting each other for a larger chunk of the economic stakes and do not seem to be under anyones control. The police or law enforcement agencies frankly cannot do anything about it due to the politicians being too strong in Karachi and past experiences where the police was targeted in the whole of the 1990s.(http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\03\24\story_24-3-2011_pg7_23)
By Ali K.Chishti
In the last twenty four hours, more than 30 people belonging to various political parties had been shot dead at various places in Karachi and more than six vehicles had been torched in what is described as another cycle of violence that had struck Karachi. What distinguish the current wave of violence from the previous ones is that this wave of violence is being orchestrated only after the provinces most powerful forces, the PPP and MQM, just negotiated a deal to settle their differences and put an end to the Peoples Amn Committee, a group from Lyari that MQM had traditionally blamed for the violence in the city.
So the question is, after the liquidation of the much publicised Amn Committee, has the violence stopped in Karachi? No, on the contrary it has multiplied, confirmed a senior police official. In developed areas like Gulshan-e-Iqbal, traditionally MQM strongholds, more than eight political workers of the MQM had been shot dead while in various localities various political workers of Sunni Tehreek (ST) and ANP had been shot dead in what is described as a tit-for-tat reaction and uncontrolled violence. Intensive investigations carried out by Daily Times confirm that the recent wave of violence is a chain reaction initiated only after the target killing of two ST members, Wasim, 30, and Danish, 40, killed on February 19 at Nishtar Road in Ranchore Line, Saddar, and although, as per STs leader Sarwat Ejaz Qadri and MQM leaders background conversations on a new understanding between the two political parties, this killing of two ST workers initiated a new wave of violence. On February 28, a worker of MQM, Arsalan, was hit at Ranchore Lines by the Haqiqi faction of Sunni Tehreek, which doesnt see eye to eye with its party leadership and although the MQM found it politically convenient to blame the Peoples Amn Committee for the killing, in reality it was the rogue activists of ST who killed MQMs worker Arsalan.
What followed in a chain of events was a bloodbath with over 59 killed in March alone, which remarkably includes at least three police officials. Whereas violence had shifted from Central Karachi to other areas of Karachi, the worst hit parts of Karachi now are where MQM and ANP activists are fighting. While the Karachi police, under the directions of the provincial home minister Zulfiqar Mirza and a very active Saud Mirza are trying to curb the violence, the question remains: who is killing who in Karachi and more importantly for what? The chain of events would give our readers an idea of whats happening in Karachi. When contacted, the ST spokesman confirmed that, We are being targeted and both the government coalition members are fully aware of the situation. Its primarily the Sipa-e-Sahaba which is targeting us.
The intelligence officials in what is called the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed some time back had prepared a list of target killers with the workers of all political parties and wanted to pick up these elements but political reconciliation came in between. While the largest stakeholder in Karachi, the MQM, had been the worst hit with over fifty of its workers shot dead, other political parties like ANP, PPP and ST had suffered a toll too with over one hundred dead in political violence just in 2011.
The MQM remains completely dissatisfied with the deal they closed with the PPP of dismantling the Peoples Amn Committee in Lyari. The feeling within the MQM remains that they had been conned. A senior provincial law enforcement person confirmed to Daily Times: It seems that the criminal elements of all political parties in Karachi are fighting each other for a larger chunk of the economic stakes and do not seem to be under anyones control. The police or law enforcement agencies frankly cannot do anything about it due to the politicians being too strong in Karachi and past experiences where the police was targeted in the whole of the 1990s.(http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\03\24\story_24-3-2011_pg7_23)