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).
Pakistani elected leaders are fighting:D so as long as they are doing it inside the assemblies, they don’t have to engage in street violence. I guess all is good.
Two major groups are angry at each other. What next? Hope history doesn’t repeat itself.
Salamalikum,
People really need to read this very sad article on BBC Urdu originally posted by Jamal Shamsi at KMB:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/miscellaneous/story/2007 /05/070514_altaf_hussain_rza.shtml
It doesn’t tell anything new but give some basic details about origins of MQM, etc and its aftermath.
It reconfirmed what I had learned from elders and other people in Karachi. MQM turned people of Karachi who used to vote/support religious parties (for whatever reason—lack of another party to support??), didn’t show a lot animosity and a qaum that سات دÙ
GOD SAVE KARACHI (ameen)
Dear Nation, AOA,
This is not the pakistan . this is a place where a muslim in now not willing to live any more. Iam a lecturer in SSUET karachi . ask from me the situation of the Next – Generation. they are telling to the whole new upcomming students that we dont want to live in pakistan, and we dont want to serve this country as, this country is now full of currouption, terrisum, and source.
Now this is enough, and the engough is engough, My God have u seen the thoughts and all wants to go to Australia , Japan ,and now in China . as they also knows that it is a big populated country. but they says that “Its ok Sir, but that would be not a living hell like Pakistan, aur hum kutch tou kaam aur koi na koi job kar leyngay. !!”.
GOD helps us . Iam word less now. I feel that you should also feel my expression and the moments that iam listening these arugments ,now a days daily.
regards,
Engr.Murtaza Hussain
Lecturer,
SSUET – Karachi.