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).
Sorry I should write Ejaz not Aijaz.
This refers to Aijaz Wasi’s post. There are many people who are sad about the situation in Karachi.
Musharraf relies support of MQM to keep PPP out of the Government in Sindh. MQM will never change. Its leadership will never be content. I agree with Aijaz that people of Karachi, if they want to stay with Altaf, they can do but it must be mentioned here that Karachi does not belong to the followers of MQM but it has indigenous sindhis, and many other communities. Let them stick to their leader but for God sake they should not take law into their hands and they should let others live.
It is really sad to see Karachi in flames. It reminds me a saying that ‘when Rome was burning Nero was plying his flute’. Same situation applies to Karachi. At present Karachi is burning and soon you will see another Nero will start his address on the telephone to its peaceful workers who are holding a rally with full support of the Government in which his party is ruling the roost.
While on the other hand, MQM has used Government agencies to block all the roads leading to the airport and Sindh High Court. The Chief Justice is stranded at the airport and Sindh Home Secretary has the audacity to tell the Chief Justice to return to Islamabad.
MQM has been nurtured by Musharraf for last 7 years and its other face is not hidden from the public. There is no word like ‘tolerance’ in their dictionary. Fuehrer will soon be uttering his words of wisdom on the telephone from his cushy home in London.
The situation is reminiscent of 90’s when the then Governemnt, which was their ally, had to act against their violent activities.
The times have changed. Those days are gone when MQM used to coerce print media and compel them to toe their line but now the electronic media can not hide live pictures and unless they are taken out of air the truth will continue to reach the public.
So Mr Fuehrer you can not continue to hide your other face and throw dust in the eyes of the people. Beware Adil Najam, Geo TV and ARYOne world TV are around.People do not have to rely on foreign media now.
While I didn’t hope more sensible reaction from the current regime on the issue of security what I am truly appalled is by the complacency (or dheet pan) of Karachiites and their utterly irrational refusal to accept change in their lives by allowing a truly ignorant and goddamn vagabond aka Altaf hussain’s ghundas roam at their will and damage the very fabric of social, civic and economic lives of this city which boasts the highest generating revenue compared with the whole country.
I am saddened by the realization of Karachiites’ dilemma: Urdu speaking have no other voice but Altaf Hussain so let’s stick to him (however bad he might be).
As for the police and government, it was predictable and shameful behavior nonetheless. However, had there been no friggin’ MQM, the city could have been more at peace. I wonder despite the many great things about this city, what is the average IQ of an average Karachiite. I mean, for god’s sake, this is your very own friggin’ city. Governments will come, and governments will fall. But what legacy as a civil society do WE leave behind us?
The moral fibre of this society has weakened to such a state that I could have no possible hope from any area but from those who remain silent and yet are capable of a lot more than what they think of themselves.
Its sad!
Every time you refresh the news page the death toll increases. Its tragic !!