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).
Updated at 1610 PST
Salamalikum,
Yes, I agree with Adnan. MQM is not what it used to be although it always had a thug culture (Altaf, Afaq Ahmed, Faheem Cammondo, etc). Even in Azizabad (and I’ve made sure before writing here) from the day Azeem Tariq was killed, people had no doubt, no doubt that Altaf had him killed. In fact, I talked to someone who lived in Azizabad and his household was highly involved and he told me that it’s a commonly held notion, a fact that that Altaf had Azeem Tariq killed. And, Azeem Tariq was supposed to be Altaf’s very close and best friend from Karachi University. People say he had Hakeem Saeed killed, but can’t be sure, and he was most definitely involved in the killing of Takbeer’s editor, Mohammad Salahuddin. So, expect any thing from Altaf and his thugs.
And is there any way to watch Aaj or Geo? I’m outside Pakistan… Thanks!
So so tragic…
Karachi would have been a different city if MQM was not born and it didn’t hijack our great city.
Safety and peace for the innocent people. Ameen.
Bilal, hope your family is safe.