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).
This too shall pass. The next dictator shall grow up while the wise fight, fret or fume…
I noticed two flags in the footage. Wondering which sides they are?
1. Green and Red with black in middle (crescent inside)
2. Green red and white
I thought I saw one with Green, red and blue too..but maybe I’m mistaken?
[quote comment=”47038″]MQM is a bad political party but it does not make others good and innocent.
Look at the pictures here http://www.mqm.org/English-News/May-2007/killers-m qm-rally-120507.htm%5B/quote%5D
If this is your idea of a joke, please stop.
MQM is a bad political party but it does not make others good and innocent.
Look at the pictures here http://www.mqm.org/English-News/May-2007/killers-m qm-rally-120507.htm
Its days like this that I’m glad my family bid adieu to Karachi a long time ago. While I’m saddened by the horrific state of affairs, we all know Karachi has been going down the drain for decades now, and Pakistan as a whole has largely been a fiefdom for particular families and clans since its very birth.
Given the illiteracy, inequality, inhumanity, and general sense of apathy I saw on display when I was last there, this violence does not surprise me one bit and as much as I hope things improve, I seriously doubt they will.
I once believed that Musharraf was different and genuine, that he cared and could somehow turn things around in Pakistan for the better. Cognizant of the challenge, I nevertheless believed in his abilities. I was not bothered by his uniform because democracy is not a panacea and plenty of elected leaders in Pakistan and the wider world are horrible leaders. I now see Musharraf as no better than any of the others to have blessed Pakistan with their leadership.
Of course, this scorn should not just be reserved for the leadership and Pakistani elite, it is shared amongst any who care about Pakistan, including myself – SHAME ON ALL OF US FOR ALLOWING THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN PAKISTAN TO GET THIS BAD!!!