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).
Problem is that we are not united.While AAJ TV/Business Recorder Building and surrounding building were literally hijacked by these goons, other channels were NOT even giving proper coverage to AAJ’s incident. Normally I have seen that One channel starts telecasting the coverage of other channels to cover the things which they can’t cover. GEO and ARY should have shown some dignity to telecast AAJ telecast on their TV so that viewers of others channels could get the truth but since these channels are always ready to eat each other, they kept showing off their stengthts by telecasting their own programs.
I must salute AAJ and Talat again. The way they are using candid cams is hell horrible and difficult. They have literally put their lives at risk. Watching AAJ shows that I am watching Beirut.
Abrar, thanks for telling about this technology. Hope someone w0uld like to use to capture the moments via Webcams or Mobile cams.
Salamalikum,
I was born and raised in ’80s/’90s in Karachi in 100% “MQM area” to muhajireen parents, and I say today that MQM is responsible for this mess. They are the biggest enemy of religion, of anybody who opposes them and the biggest thugs that roam this city.
Previously on ATP comments, I’ve tried to explain that MQM is no more worst than all the other political parties and that although I never condone MQM‘s any activity, “tali dunno hatoN say bajti hay” should be kept in mind while talking about MQM. And, in some sense those comments might seem like defending MQM although it wasn‘t. But, after today and after looking at how blatantly they have thrashed Karachi and after realizing that such violence didn’t occur in other Pakistani city where CJP went, I change my view: They are worst than any other political party. They have blood of more innocents on their hands than any other party. Allah’s curse be on those thugs who kill and destroy property.
It’s high time for people of Karachi, especially the muhajireen, to completely remove their support for MQM. May Allah destroy MQM and protect the people of Karachi from any sort of retribution, ameen.
Mush is not a visionary. He is a jackboot whose mentality is akin to MQM supremo and both of them think of their interest. Mush’s support to the fuehrer will cost not only dear to him but Altaf as well. Perhaps these are defining moments not only for Sindh province but for whole Pakistan. MQM can not go on applying brute force against those who oppose them.
I was disgusted to hear Altaf reciting verses of holy Quran. Isn’t it travesty of Islam? It is an example of a hypocrite and Allah will definitely throw those in hell who are hypoctites.
What has been a movement for secular democracy seems to have been hijacked into an ethno-political battle. With Mush playing his MQM card, wither talks with the PPP? Bottom line: Mush’s days seem numbered and so do Karachi’s.
Obeserver, actually MQM’s declined started from the day when Azeem Tariq was killed by Altaf and several others were also killed because they had seen the real face of Altaf and his dictatorship
Even the current Minister Dr.Amir Liaquat was seriously threatened by MQM when Mush tried to bring him aginsT altaf. The walls of karachi were chalked by “SIRF ALtaf” or “only Altaf”, to give message that Either follow Altaf or face the heat.
After listening Farooq Sattar and others MQM officials, it’s quite clear tht MQM is in self destruction phase. As it;s said “Khhuda k laathe beawaz”- Mush’s own people are being reason of his destruction. Good going.