Karachi Bleeds Again: Will Sanity Prevail?

Posted on January 11, 2010
Filed Under >Adil Najam, Law & Justice, Politics
18 Comments
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Adil Najam

Civil society activists in Karachi had welcomed the new year in style: with rallies for peace. This was not an act of naivety. It was an act of hope. More than that it was an act of defiance. Defiance against the reality of violence that has become our daily fate. As Karachi spirals, again, into violence. That defiance is being tested, again. Today, more than ever before, those who stand against violence, must continue to stand against violence.

Violence has, once again, gripped the metropolis with gusto. Politicians are at pains to tell us that the nature of violence in Karachi today is not the same as it has been up North. They are correct. But blood on the streets is blood on the streets. He who dies of ‘political’ violence is no less dead than he who dies of extremist terrorism. The senselessness of the one is no less senseless than the other.

In each case, it is Pakistanis who die, Pakistanis who cry.

Karachi, of course, has never been a stranger to the curse of violence.

Just over a year ago, I had started a post with a similar headline with the sentence: “Karachi used to be called ‘the city that never sleeps.’ It may as well now be called ‘the city that forever bleeds.'” But the fact is that while Karachi is a city that lives always on the edge, it had been relatively less volatile than many other parts of the country. Given its size, composition, politics and history, it is a place where violence can unravel fast and spreads faster. That is exactly what has been happening this last week.

In horror and in pain, one has watched the legendary resilience of this great city being tested yet again by the forces of violence. The news today – with all major parties in the city talking about reconciliation and restraint – gives one some cautious hope. But more than on any statement from any political party, we must invest our hopes in the ordinary citizens of this glorious city. Sanity will flow not from the political calculations of the parties, it will flow forth from the same sentiments of defiance that had brought out civil society in the city on new year’s day.

18 responses to “Karachi Bleeds Again: Will Sanity Prevail?”

  1. M.AKRAM NIAZI says:

    “Countering Ethnocentrism In Karachi By Creating Coastal Province And By Using Separate Electoral System
    Forecast of Quaid-e-Azam about Pakistan with reference to Provincialism,
    ( 28 March,1948,Dhaka)
    “If we begin to think of ourselves as Bengalis, Punjabis, Sindhhis etc. first and Muslims and Pakistanis only incidentally, then Pakistan is bound to disintegrate.”
    Above forecast of Quaid-e-Azam was truly proved when in 1971 Pakistan disintegrated, and now still Pakistani nation is still going on same path.
    Promotion of Provincialism and Ethnocentrism by President of Pakistan is highly deplorable, and is against the Constitution of Pakistan, in which it is the basic Policy principle of Constitution of Pakistan which directs to make efforts against provincialism but our president is trying to promote provincialism and ethnocentrism.
    Investors of Ethnocentrism.
    ANP, PPP and MQM are main beneficiaries and investors of ethnocentrism, provincialism and sectarianism and therefore Mr. Zardari is trying to divide Pakistani nation on such lines, and making statements such
    • As people of other provinces are eating the resources of Balouchistan while infact those are Balouch Sardars who are mostly involved in making properties in other provinces, Jamali sons behaving like land mafia and are having properties in Sindh, Mengal and Marri are having properties in Karachi, Moreover Mr. Zardari is himself involved in making properties in U.K. (Surrey Palace) and every where in Pakistan (from Marri to Guwadour)
    • Punjab is taking the share of water of Sindh while infact it the Sindh Government which is wasting the River Indus water in land and in Arabian Sea. Due to which many parts of Sindh are suffering from problem of water accumulation leading to stagnant water in lakes and creating swamp lands and rise in sea level.
    • People of Sindh will be converted to minority due to migration of Pukhtoons to Karachi, while infact if whole of NWFP population move to Sindh even then it is simply impossible to convert people of Sindh into minority as population of NWFP is 15 Million and that of Sindh about 40 million.
    Sindh and Karachi.
    Presently people of Karachi and Sindh are also suffering from this disease and thousands of people have died due to this disease in only Karachi,
    This disease makes people mad, blind and deaf ,This is the reason that although people of Karachi and Sindh are most educated in Pakistan and know very well that their leaders are terrorist, killers and corrupted but even then they supports to terrorist, killers and corrupted leaders, and there is no value of life in city of Karachi and Sindh.
    As province of Sindhh has totally failed in protecting life and property of people of different ethnic groups, So many people have died and murdered due to this disease of ethnocentrism but government of Sindhh has taken no concrete measures to counter such murders and crimes, In the era of General Zia-ul-Haq when there used to be any information about any initiation of problem of law and order, Administration used to implement Curfew in the localities for prevention of further loss of life, but at present Provincial Sindhh government (due to lust of power ) has totally failed in this regard.
    Due to no commitment with any moral and ethical Ideology and due to disease of provincialism and ethnocentrism, criminals are committing their crimes freely and police Department is totally inefficient in protecting the life and property of people which is obvious from following examples.
    1) Merciless killing and massacre in Karachi on 12 May 2008, in which police and provincial government were found helping the criminals, and officially no investigation was made by provincial government against such delirious crimes.
    2) Loot and arson on 27 December 2008, on the day of death of Benazir Bhutto, free hand was given to criminals for each and every type of crime by provincial governments and police and Railway and transport of people of other provinces was main target of these criminals, and later on all cases against these criminals were removed by Chief Minister of Sindh.
    3) 0n 27 December once again police of province failed event to protect the property of people and free hand was given to criminals in committing their crimes.
    4) Target killing of citizens and youth belonging from different groups such as Pukhtoons, Punjabies, Sindhhies, Balouch and Urdu speaking people, have become a common pratice, while provincial government has taken no step to counter these crimes, it looks as there is no value of life in front of Sindhh government like that of Lalit Moodi government of state of Gujrat in India.
    As mention above there is need to counter these crimes by changing the structure of the province and the difference in ethnicities could be used for stabilization of that region, the details of which are as follows.
    Need of a new Province of Karachi.
    • In scenario of uncontrollable region, it is required to create a new province with the name of “Karachi” including all coastal areas of Pakistan, from Theta to Guwadour, by this the all coastal areas will come under the control of a new geographical entity and it will be easy for that province to administer and manage that same geography in better way with the help of Pakistan Navy.
    • By this all ports and coastal areas will come in the same province under one administration with its Head Quarter in Karachi.
    • That New administration will improve chain of command and management of ports, coastal areas, fishery department in coastal regions.
    • At present inclusion of coastal areas in Government of Sindhh and Balouchistan government is very odd and unnatural, as usually Sindhh Government officers have agricultural background and Capital of Balouchistan government is very remote and far away from coastal areas, therefore administration of coastal areas of Pakistan by a single administration in Karachi will be the best option.
    • New Provincial Government will be more accountable with reference to law and order to federal government as compared to present ambiguous and complex structures of Provinces.
    Name of New Province.
    Name of New province should be as Karachi, Makran, Coastal Areas of Pakistan, or Muhajiran,Sahil-e-Muhajir as these coastal areas are mainly inhabitated by migrants from Africa, India, Interior Sindhh, Interior Pakistan and is main location of migratory birds of Siberia.
    By inclusion of all coastal areas in one province will make separation and cessation movements weaker in the country.
    Separate Electoral System in New Province.
    Political Structure should be based on multiculturism and tolerance as these areas are inhabitated by many large and small ethnic groups there will be need to have separate electoral system in that province for Urdu speakers,Sindhhi speakers, Pushtoo speakers,Punjabi speakers and Makrani speakers and there should be seates in provincial assembly as per their population.By separate electoral system ethnic conflicts will be minimized and wastage of votes of ethnic minorities will come to an end.
    • At present small ethnic minorities are unable to represent themselves in assemblies as majority ethnic group such as MQM, does not allow them to reach in assemblies by using each and every means, due to which smaller ethnic groups are suffering from distress in city of Karachi.
    Facilitating Migration of Quality peoples.
    More over as at present ethnic groups are trying to increase their population in the city of Karachi, such as Sindhh government forcing people of interior to migrate towards Karachi, MQM is trying to increase its vote bank by bringing Indian and Bangladeshi migrants in Karachi, in the same manner Pushtoon and Balouch speakers want to increase their population, In view of all this there is need to make some quality standards for people’s migration into this new province as Canada, Australia and USA has developed such standards for migration, so that new province could become a Model, developed and advanced province of Pakistan.
    Conclusion:
    From above observations, suggestions and predictions, its quite clear that present ethnic conflicts and loss of life in Karachi could be minimized by Creation of a new province on coastal areas of Pakistan and by using separate electoral system for different ethnic and religious minorities in that province.
    By this we will be able to counter those who are trying to divide Pakistan on the basis of ethoncenterism, provincialism and sectarianism.
    Written By:
    M.AKRAM KHAN NIAZI

  2. Daanish says:

    Adil,I admire the variety and depth of articles on your blog.

    I think you are well conected too,so I am wiriting this letter to,
    Mr.President Zardari,may I suggest to initiate: “building a world class football stadium movemet in lyari”.
    I know people of this locality have world class potential.

    I strongly believe that when we,the citizens,will start building something we will have no time to fight and destroy.

    Pakistan Zindabad.

  3. Rizwan says:

    We are just hearing the news and doing nothing. We are re-electing the same CORRPUT and KILLER people again and again. Whenever I see any Government meeting on TV channels I see persons aged 50+ and not a single young person. Where is the youth of our country and why it is not coming out.

    This is time to step out for youth and change the future of this beloved country. Plzzz plzzz plzzz try to understand we are Pakistanis, we are not SINDHI, BALUCHI, PUNJABI and PAKHTOON.

    Everyone is blaming the politicians, did we ever think about making changes at our own. Did we ever try to obey traffic rules at our own, did we ever try to respect other people rights at our own. Come on youth, you should not be sleeping now. Please wake up and start making a new polite, loving Pakistan.

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