Adil Najam
Pictures on the television show Karachi burning. The city is at war. Morchas everywhere. Clashes, violence, firing, deaths.
The Chief Justice is holed up at the airport and the streets are ruled by mobs. Aaj TV is being fired at and Talat Hussain reports that the police and rangers are unable to get their to help because the roads are blocked (to stop the Chief Justice). Of course, these road blocks have not stopped the killers who are firing at the TV station. As of now 15 are reported dead. Over 100 seriously injured. Hospitals in Karachi have declared an emergency. The Prime Minister has called an emergency meeting of his own to respond to what the government is calling a ’security situation’ but which sounds, smells, looks and feels like the beginning of a war on the streets of Karachi. Flights in and out of the city are stalled. Train traffic is stopped. The city seems to have descended back to its darkest days of street violence.
Meanwhile, the petty blame game continues. But things are changing too fast for one to analyze them. But one thing is certain. Things have gone out of control. Totally out of control. Totally out of everyone’s control. It is a sad sad day for all of us.
I wish I had something more profound to say. All I can hink of right now is what someone wrote on our comments section recently: Khuda Khair Karray!
(Picture credits BBC and The News and pictorial story at Bilal Zuberi’s blog; great blog coverage at Karachi Metroblog).
” Masnoi Amn ” is not what the people ( not belonging to MQM ) want!!
What’s our fault !! everybody forgotten 12th May 2007!!
Save us !!
I think Everybody has Forgotten 12th May 2007 ….
hey ! people outside Karachi plz…. save those who are Living in this ” masnoi Amn”
Everybody talk about 12th May….but no one talk about following
-Liaquat assassinated; high level inquiry promised
October 16 1951, Rawalpindi. Liaquat Ali Khan was shot dead today by one Said Akber, only moments after he rose to address a huge public meeting at Company Bagh, Rawalpindi.
Following the radio broadcast of the news, all public and commercial activities are shut down, as the nation prepares to mourn the death of its first PM.
said.jpg (2737 bytes)
Assassin Said Akbar, killed on the spot.
Some observers are concerned about the identity of those who might really have backed Said Akber (seen dead here), who was killed by the \’angry crowd\’ just after he had fired the bullets. Anxieties also lurk about the contents of the PM\’s last speech which he could never deliver, and which has not been released to the press.
Riots in Karachi
January 4 1965. Ethnic riots erupt in Karachi as citizens protest against violation of Section 144 by President’s son and Pukhtoon transporters, who took out a procession to celebrate election victory. Aggressors raid colonies in the night. Bloody massacres are witnessed, yet official sources claim only six dead.
Anti- corruption or systematic dismissal of Urdu Speaking people from Civil Service 1972
March Around 2000 government servants have been dismissed during the last three months as part of Bhutto’s campaign to \”root out corruption.\”
Ethnic riots in Sindh
July 8 1972 Following the passage of the Sindhi Language Bill yesterday, terrible ethnic riots errupt in Sindh, dividing the province along ethnic lines with Urdu-speakers and those who speak Sindhi pitted against each other.
Clean-up mess
Karachi, December 13 1986 The operation launched yesterday in Sohrab Goth, aimed at ridding the area of drugs and weapons, ends in failure. Only 65 kilos of heroin, one Kalashnikov and 2,000 rounds of ammunition are recovered from what is considered to be one of the most important transit posts in the international heroin trade. A high-level leak is suspected to be the cause for the failure.
Orangi killings
Karachi, December 14 1986 An unprecedented massacre of innocent citizens takes place in Qasba Colony, Aligarh Colony and Sector 1-D of Orangi in the early hours of the morning as several hundred marauders open fire on residents with Kalashnikovs and 7mm rifles, setting fire to homes in the area. The police refuse to intervene in what is viewed as a revenge attack by Pakhtuns on a largely mohajir locality. The carnage continues until around 4 pm, when the army is finally called in. The official death toll is 49, and several hundred more are injured.
Sindh succumbs to violence
Sep 30 1988 Unknown snipers in Hyderabad kill 120 in a brutal massacre; army called in to restore order and curfew imposed
Massacre in Hyderabad
May 27 1990 More than 60, including women and children, die in Hyderabad Pucca Qila area during a police operation, heightening the growing tension between the MQM and the PPP
These are the extracts of News paper death toll of Urdu speaking people are way beyond from the above figures as ll of them were Gov Press releases.
After all that you people remember only 12 May??
Allah have mercy on this city in coming time.
This is a good post
[…] read Adil’s post at ATP for details on how and why this crisis came about. More here, and some backgrounder […]
For All The Karachiites ( could be reposted to Ramadan Blog)
Hommage to Karachi !
Ay Karachi, Ay Karachi, Ay Karachi
Woh Muhallay tery, wo kochay tery, wo teri Galian,
wo tera Jamshed Road, wo meray Baba ka Mazar,
tera bunder road, tera Raam Bagh,
wo tera Densho hall, wo teri Lukshmi,
tera marywheather tower, wo kemari-o-Samadar,
Ay Karachi, Ay Karachi, Ay Karachi
Wo Mastana Saddar, wo hassin Empress, Parsi colony,
wo tera jimkhana, wo tera Clifton, wo tera Ghazi,
Ay Karachi, Ay Karachi, Ay Karachi
wo teri Khushboo, wo hussin shamm, wo tera Tea-time
wo Akhiri Station, wo Malir-o- Landhi,
Ay Karachi, Ay Karachi, Ay Karachi
Tujhaiy hazaroon lakhoon Salaam.
Tujhaiy hon lakhoon Eid Mubarak
Rafay Kashmiri.
mein aap sab se itefaq nahi kerta jis ney bhi altaf hussain ko bura bhala kaha hai lekin jab altaf hussain ney jab tanzeem (mqm)ki bynyaad rakhi to us ka maqsad sirf aur sirf 98% awam ki awaz ko un logon taq pohnchana jo hum per musallat they aaj (mqm) wo wahid jamat hai jo awam ki apni jamat hai jis mein qaum parasti nahi balkaye qaumi yaqjehti ka sabaq diya jata hai,mein logon se ye zaroor poochon ga jo ye kehtey hein k altaf hussain qatil hai agar apney mulk (pakistan)k haq k liye bolna awaz uthana jurm hai sach bolna jurm hai to haan wo mujrin hai nareyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy mutahidda jiyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee mutahidda allah hafiz
The Karachiites, listen
let us all tell those who burned and killed Karachi, they will be
unmasked very soon. It should never ever happen again to
Karachi.