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).
I have the following observation regarding what happened in Karachi yesterday (12 May ’07).
No TV channel is prepared to courageously name the perpetrators of this carnage.
That this is the final round of the military vs. judiciary.
The outcome will make or break Pakistan.
The sane people of Pakistan are united to fight ethnic based politics Despite all provocations by vested interests.
Things can only change from within and the desire to do so must be vehemently pursued.
1. One Army dictator (Zia) made MQM
2. Second dictator (Mush) is doing his best to protect MQM
MQM is not a political party, its a Mafia
[quote comment=”47020″]So it’s back to the old ways for MQM. They are back to the tactics that have worked for them very well in the past.
Again a military dictator as the guardian angel for this terrorist outfit.
Will we ever learn?[/quote]
Yes, you are right. We will never learn. I never liked MQM, but I thought that Musharraf had at least SOME decency to care for Pakistan.
I have always been disappointed by the skeptical attitude of older people around me…now I realize that I am the one who was unrealistically idealistic. It was Zia and MQM first, and now Musharraf and MQM.
God! I’m at a loss for words…what the hell has happened in the past 24 hours?
We (including myself) constantly blame mullahs and other fundamentalists for their stupidities…well, at least they are not indiscriminate killers like these MQM CRIMINALS.
MQM was, is, and will remain a terrorist organization.
[quote comment=”46992″]
Today when I called up friends and family in Karachi……but they still could not bring themselves to putting all blame on this organized crime mafia now hiding under the guise of a political organization, that single handedly tried to hijack the city for a day. [/quote]
I don’t know how many innocent people have to die before these people come to their senses. It’s as absurd as some “muslims” supporting the killings of other innocent muslims in sunni/shia killings.
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
MQM = Mustaqil Qaumi Masla
MQM = Main* Qyoon Maroon, Meri* Qoum Maray
where Main and Meri represent Altaf