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).
[quote post=”701″]Why not postpone by one day and let MQM’s plans fall apart? [/quote]
the plan of CJ’s address to bar was decided long before the Judiciary crisis as Court was celebrating its 150 years. Why should they have cancelled the plan?
Zalim Khan,i don’t know what to say ..better I say nothing. *sigh*
All I can say k Allah tumhe Aqal-e-Saleem ataa karay aur thori se sanjeedgi aur Dimagh ko istimaal karna k hosla day.
Why are we fighting amongst ourselves? We should get together and fight wicked Indians. This is all their badmashi.
[quote comment=”47039″][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.[/quote]
I am strongly against MQM and ALTAF but it does not mean i would speak only against MQM/Altaf. Get the facts and critize whoever is involved. Dont judge on the basic of their history and the label on them.
[quote comment=”47040″]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]
Mahi, the ones wielding weapons are holding the green-red-white (mqm); the ones that have their brains blown out and blood spilling from their guts are holding the red-black-green (ppp).
If you have never seen the MQM flag before, you obviously have never been to Karachi; or if you have, you probably remained on the right side of Clifton bridge.