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).
For some time during the day, even as there were reports of more violance in Karachi, the top headline on Geo was quite strangely Afghanistan. Then there was the press conference of the lawyers of the CJ, which both Geo and Aaj showed live. After that, I stopped following so can’t say whether Karachi became the top headline or not.
As for The News (since the jang group has come under discussion above), as of now, the front page of its website has the following latest news reports in the same order (my apologies if I overlooked anything)
CJ lawyers hold MQM, government responsible for Karachi violence
(Updated at 1820 PST)
Woolmer died of heart failure: Report
Updated at 1830 PST
Two pro-Fatah militants killed in Gaza shooting
(Updated at 1525 PST)
Car bomb kills 30 in northern Iraq
(Updated at 1520 PST)
Five killed in Thai south
(Updated at 1445 PST)
Azlan Shah Hockey: India beat S. Korea, win third position
Thousands gather for fresh pro-secular rally in Turkey
AIDS: “Natural killer” clue to virus vulnerability
One more killed in Karachi violence
(Updated at 1300 PST)
Iran president in landmark visit to pro-Western UAE
SC full court to hear CJ Iftikhar’s petition tomorrow
Buddhist monk, five rebels killed in Sri Lanka violence
Karachi still tense, daily life routine comes to standstill
Three dead as a coach tumbled down in ravine on MCH
Very courageous, good, not enough, too scared to give adequate coverage to the issue or a bit of everything?
I leave that for people to comment on.
If someone thinks on following, he will get the answer who is behind all this show:
– Who blocked the opposite parties routes?
– Who blocked the main arteries of city except their own route?
– Where was 15000 police which was deputed to handle situation?
– Where was ranger in karachi which is living in khi in all corners of city?
– Why no help was provided to people living in Guru mandar and Aaj TV premises despite it was aired live since the incident starts?
– Why Police didnot arrested / fired a bullet on persons carrying arms roaming openly on road?
Despite it is a fact, khi police known to fire and arrest citizens
– Why mobsters carrying modern weaponry fired indiscriminately on people from bridges, roads cars motorbikes without any fear from law enforcement agencies?
– Who gave insurances to terrorist tht they are free to act and 15000 police will not be on all the main roads and important points where they want to play?
_ Why IG Police said that he is authorityless and he cant do anything for people who pay taxes for them to be a privilaged?
– Why DIG traffic said on TV tht if you want to open all important roads, i need instructions from ruling party?
There are lot of points.. if anyone ponder and find only one thing..
Who were these Gangsters and why so much silence from the Law enforcement agencies?
[quote comment=”47070″]I hve been glued to the TV the last two days and I GEOs coverage has been outstanding as usual.[/quote]
Yeah, especially the “apology” by the government to dear-old Altaf Bhai which is the headline on The News’s website.
Tell me, where do you buy your denial pills?
They were holding MQM flaq, BBC specially showed that.
I saw Geo showing terrorists firing with AK-47 from Baoch Calony bridge to relly of opposition, later same clip was repeated from BBC, it was really shamefull for MQM leaders and for Musharraf.
Ham kaise begairaz hukumrano gulami mein hein, afsoos.