Karachi Violence .. Updates & Discussion ..

[Abu Zolfiqar]

800 killed in Pakistan's Karachi this year: rights body


Read more: 800 killed in Pakistan's Karachi this year: rights body

hmmm....according to Dawn, the figure was 300

 

[Evil Flare]

KARACHI:
Following days of mutual recrimination, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its estranged coalition partner, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), have finally agreed to a formula which will pave the way for the latter’s eventual return to the government.
According to the formula, in the first phase, the PPP has conceded to the MQM’s demand for the restoration of the local government system – but only in Karachi and Hyderabad. However, in the remaining 21 districts of Sindh, the commissionerate system will remain in place, highly-placed sources told Daily Express.
(Read: Let’s do it commissionery style)
Following days of political friction and bloodletting in Karachi, there has been a gradual softening of stances in both the PPP and MQM.
On Friday, leaders of both parties met at an Iftar hosted by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah in Karachi in what was meant to be an ice-breaking congregation. However, what most of those fraternising at the Karachi iftar did not know was that meetings of real consequence were already being held elsewhere – particularly in Islamabad.
Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad of the MQM held a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari, followed by an Iftar dinner at the Presidency on Friday.
Sources said that PPP’s senior leaders in Sindh are not aware of the new agreement as President Asif Ali Zardari is handling the situation.
“The law and order situation in Karachi was discussed during the meeting. The president later hosted a dinner for the governor,” said a two-line statement issued by the Presidency.
When contacted, Presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar refused to divulge details of the meeting. However, sources disclosed that the meeting was a follow up of a decision taken at the Presidency two days earlier, where the allied parties in the Sindh government had authorised Zardari to intervene and take all necessary steps to bring normalcy in the violence-hit financial hub of the country and to bring the MQM back into the government’s fold.
According to sources, the government’s legal wizards have started drafting an ordinance whereby municipal corporations and district municipal corporations will be abolished in Karachi and Hyderabad.
Sources added that the MQM is likely to rejoin the provincial and federal cabinets following the restoration of the local bodies system in the two major urban centres of the province.
In the second phase, sources said, the commissionerate system would either be abolished or amended to make the office of commissioner subservient to the city mayor (nazim).
Following a consensus among top PPP leaders, the draft agreement has been sent to the MQM for final approval. If the MQM accepts to the draft, sources said, the government is likely to issue the ordinance within the next 48 hours.
The MQM is insisting that three ordinances should be promulgated simultaneously to do away with the Local Government Ordinance 1979, Police Act 1861 and the commissioner system.
However, sources said that the party has apparently relented in backchannel talks with the PPP which says the three ordinances should be abolished in phases.
Sources said that the government is also giving serious thought to the MQM demand for holding local bodies’ elections in Sindh or to appoint political administrators instead of bureaucrats. But the sources clarified that no decision has been taken yet. The two parties have also agreed that their leaders would not make provocative statements against each other’s parties. And in future, differences would be resolved in closed-door meetings.
‘Eid together’
Meanwhile, over at the Iftar in Karachi, Sindh Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani said that MQM would rejoin the government before the end of Ramazan and the two parties would celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr together.
Talking to media men on the occasion, he said there had been negotiations between MQM and PPP on various issues and the president had directed them to take MQM on board. “The commissionerate and local government system has been the bone of contention between MQM and PPP. We cannot reverse the decision, but we can bring amendments to it,” he said, adding that leaders of MQM were expressing concern over the commissionerate system, but they had failed to propose their desired amendments.
Durrani added that the government had not yet decided over the issue of MQM ministers’ resignations. “We are still waiting for MQM to rejoin the cabinet, I hope the ministers will resume their jobs before Eid,” he said.
Referring to the Sindh cabinet meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad, he said: “All our powers have been given to the president to decide the fate of the coalition.”
MQM leader Raza Haroon said that MQM could rejoin government in the best interest of the country. “We should not waste our time discussing the old local government system of 1979, but there is a dire need to bring the internationally acclaimed modern local government system of 2001,” he said.
Haroon added: “We do not have personal gain in politics, we are advocating for the rights of people and we will continue to do so whether we are in the government or the opposition,” Haroon added. (WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM CORRESPONDENTS IN KARACHI AND ISLAMABAD)
Published in The Express Tribune, August 6th, 2011.

 

[niaz]

Having worked and lived in Karachi for 10 years back in the 1970’s and the fact that two of my brothers and my in-laws are residents of Karachi, I have special love for this great city. It is a pity that that it is now a battlefield between the MQM & ANP.

In my opinion main culprit is the PPP who want to rake in the benefits from this carnage. First let us look that political scene which emerged during the last general election.

Total Provincial Assembly seats from Karachi were 42. Out of this 34 were won by MQM, 6 by PPP & 2 by ANP. It is therefore crystal clear that main political power in Karachi is MQM. However with PPP in power at the Centre as well as in the Province of Sind, this is not to their liking. They have found a greedy Shahi Syed of the ANP as a pliable tool to fight MQM on their behalf.

In the meantime many Pashtuns have migrated to Karachi in the aftermath of the PA actions in the South Waziristan which resulted in a substantial increase in the Pashtun population. Many of newcomers are Taliban or Taliban supporters and thus trained fighters armed to the teeth. Now that ANP has manpower muscle; Shahi Syed wants to wrest control of more parts of Karachi from the MQM.

PPP under Zulfiqar Mira (previous Home Minister for Sind) probably with the full backing of Sind Chief Minister as well as Zardari deliberately let ANP thugs mow down unarmed Karachiites. I have personally heard on ARY News that while Pashtun armed thugs were sitting on top of ‘Cutty Pahari’ and firing at the passers-by in shirt & trousers (Pashtuns wear Shalwar/ Kameez); Karachi Police stood calmly by for 4 days without taking any action. Pray tell me if it is not outright ethnic massacre what is it? MQM are no saints either. Understand on one occasion MQM followers stopped a bus, dragged Pashtuns passengers out and shot them.

In the nutshell this is a battle for Karachi. Since ANP has Sind Gov’t backing, in the current situation ANP has an upper hand. Pity is that neither party seems to give a fig for the ordinary Karchiites or what happens to Pakistan economy as a result.

 

[Evil Flare]

“Whatever the National Assembly decides I will be with you,” MQM parliamentary leader Farooq Sattar told the house on Friday while referring to proposals of “deweaponise” Karachi and sending a parliamentary panel to investigate recent killing sprees there. – File Photo




ISLAMABAD: Apparently beset by a new wave of violence in Karachi, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement agreed in the National Assembly on Friday to ideas to “deweaponise” the city and send a parliamentary panel to investigate recent killing sprees there.

Ideas for what is called “deweaponisation”, or searching and seizing illegal arms, in the violence-plagued city had long been floated by both friends and foes of the MQM, to be countered by the Karachi-based party with its demand for a more daunting nationwide deweaponisation.

And proposals for sending an all-party fact-finding parliamentary committee to Karachi came from other opposition parties and a government-allied party without a response from either the MQM or the PPP-led coalition government.

But on Friday, MQM parliamentary leader Farooq Sattar came out with what looked like a grudging acceptance of both proposals after launching a tirade against the government, which his party was allied with until June, for allegedly backing what he called a nexus between terrorists and underworld mafia to harm his party’s prospects in next general elections at the risk of a civil war in the country’s commercial hub.

“Whatever the National Assembly decides I will be with you,” he told the house while referring to proposals, mainly from the main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N party and the government-allied Awami National Party, for sending to Karachi a parliamentary fact-finding committee, which he said should find ways to “save the hen that lays the golden eggs”.

But he also called for the formation of a judicial commission to investigate and assess damage from recent waves of violence for paying compensation to sufferers and the formation of a Sindh Assembly committee to oversee operations by paramilitary Rangers to maintain peace in the city.

While talking of proposals for deweaponising Karachi, Mr Sattar first called for taking up a private bill his party had moved earlier this year — which also sought a total ban on importing weapons and ammunition — and then said: “You may do deweaponisation (in Karachi if you want), but first there should also be decriminalisation or demafia (operations),” he said, assuring the house of his party’s cooperation for restoration of peace in Karachi and for what he said in a couplet “planting a tree of love”.

Mr Sattar alleged that a conspiracy to destroy peace in Karachi had begun with the formation of the present government in 2008 — though his party was part of this government — and said the latest round of attacks on his party’s supporters was meant to avenge its second separation from the ruling alliance in late June.

And he said he had a list of 500 “gangsters” who he alleged had been let loose on his party without any obstruction from police and challenged the government to give a list of and act against any “black sheep” found even in his party of being responsible for violence.

The MQM has been sitting on the opposition benches after it left the government at the centre and in Sindh, though the party’s Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad Khan withdrew his resignation last month.

But support to it from other opposition parties has been little more than desk-thumping cheers to its criticism of the government while they all had disagreed to its opposition to the revival of what is known as “commissionerate system” in Sindh, which restores five districts of Karachi, and none of them backed MQM leader Altaf Hussain’s demand two days ago for calling up army in Karachi.

One opposition party, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islami, on Thursday even rejected the proposal, which Mr Sattar said was meant only to have a neutral force to oversee law-enforcement rather than a takeover of the city.

He said the PPP’s administrative moves were meant to deprive the MQM of at least five National Assembly and 12 provincial assembly seats.

The debate, in which five other lawmakers from both sides of the house spoke on the day, will be resumed on Monday when the house meets at 1pm.

 

[ice_man]

It is soo sad, i wish PPP never ever comes to power again.

well that i can't say anything about BUT FOR NOW GET READY TO REJOIN PPP!!! wadera love is back in MQM!! time to throw rose petals on PPP leadership when they visit 90!!!

after all PPP give MQM the 2 seats they wanted in AJK and are also planning to fix the nazim system!

 

[Avishek]

During partition lots hindus from pakistan came to india but we dont have any problem with that but why it's a problem in pakistan?

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

During partition lots hindus from pakistan came to india but we dont have any problem with that but why it's a problem in pakistan?

you have other communal issues; not to mention the caste issue

and those would go on regardless of Partition

 

[Avishek]

Az i wanted to know about situation in karachi not india because i know my country well.

 

[Karachiite]

Having worked and lived in Karachi for 10 years back in the 1970’s and the fact that two of my brothers and my in-laws are residents of Karachi, I have special love for this great city. It is a pity that that it is now a battlefield between the MQM & ANP.

In my opinion main culprit is the PPP who want to rake in the benefits from this carnage. First let us look that political scene which emerged during the last general election.

Total Provincial Assembly seats from Karachi were 42. Out of this 34 were won by MQM, 6 by PPP & 2 by ANP. It is therefore crystal clear that main political power in Karachi is MQM. However with PPP in power at the Centre as well as in the Province of Sind, this is not to their liking. They have found a greedy Shahi Syed of the ANP as a pliable tool to fight MQM on their behalf.

In the meantime many Pashtuns have migrated to Karachi in the aftermath of the PA actions in the South Waziristan which resulted in a substantial increase in the Pashtun population. Many of newcomers are Taliban or Taliban supporters and thus trained fighters armed to the teeth. Now that ANP has manpower muscle; Shahi Syed wants to wrest control of more parts of Karachi from the MQM.

PPP under Zulfiqar Mira (previous Home Minister for Sind) probably with the full backing of Sind Chief Minister as well as Zardari deliberately let ANP thugs mow down unarmed Karachiites. I have personally heard on ARY News that while Pashtun armed thugs were sitting on top of ‘Cutty Pahari’ and firing at the passers-by in shirt & trousers (Pashtuns wear Shalwar/ Kameez); Karachi Police stood calmly by for 4 days without taking any action. Pray tell me if it is not outright ethnic massacre what is it? MQM are no saints either. Understand on one occasion MQM followers stopped a bus, dragged Pashtuns passengers out and shot them.

In the nutshell this is a battle for Karachi. Since ANP has Sind Gov’t backing, in the current situation ANP has an upper hand. Pity is that neither party seems to give a fig for the ordinary Karchiites or what happens to Pakistan economy as a result.

Very unbiased and great post which also explains the ground reality.

Thanks!

 

[pak-marine]

Having worked and lived in Karachi for 10 years back in the 1970’s and the fact that two of my brothers and my in-laws are residents of Karachi, I have special love for this great city. It is a pity that that it is now a battlefield between the MQM & ANP.

In my opinion main culprit is the PPP who want to rake in the benefits from this carnage. First let us look that political scene which emerged during the last general election.

Total Provincial Assembly seats from Karachi were 42. Out of this 34 were won by MQM, 6 by PPP & 2 by ANP. It is therefore crystal clear that main political power in Karachi is MQM. However with PPP in power at the Centre as well as in the Province of Sind, this is not to their liking. They have found a greedy Shahi Syed of the ANP as a pliable tool to fight MQM on their behalf.

In the meantime many Pashtuns have migrated to Karachi in the aftermath of the PA actions in the South Waziristan which resulted in a substantial increase in the Pashtun population. Many of newcomers are Taliban or Taliban supporters and thus trained fighters armed to the teeth. Now that ANP has manpower muscle; Shahi Syed wants to wrest control of more parts of Karachi from the MQM.

PPP under Zulfiqar Mira (previous Home Minister for Sind) probably with the full backing of Sind Chief Minister as well as Zardari deliberately let ANP thugs mow down unarmed Karachiites. I have personally heard on ARY News that while Pashtun armed thugs were sitting on top of ‘Cutty Pahari’ and firing at the passers-by in shirt & trousers (Pashtuns wear Shalwar/ Kameez); Karachi Police stood calmly by for 4 days without taking any action. Pray tell me if it is not outright ethnic massacre what is it? MQM are no saints either. Understand on one occasion MQM followers stopped a bus, dragged Pashtuns passengers out and shot them.

In the nutshell this is a battle for Karachi. Since ANP has Sind Gov’t backing, in the current situation ANP has an upper hand. Pity is that neither party seems to give a fig for the ordinary Karchiites or what happens to Pakistan economy as a result.

You have said it all sir g , ! what has to be understood MQM is defending its voters and will keep on doing so , since our useless no good law enforcement are simply not bothered . We are fighting unarmed against terrorists whose land are invaded by Nato and on one side they are getting their back side kicked by Pak army ,And the only thing this donkey lot can do is supress unarmed civilians of Karachi.

What can one say its expected from such cowards any how either if law enforcement interested or not (no high expectations) we dont give a sh*t We still will give them the hardest time possible And we will support all means used by MQM to defend against these terrorist lastly their dreams of settling will stay a wet dream.

 

[pak-marine]

During partition lots hindus from pakistan came to india but we dont have any problem with that but why it's a problem in pakistan?

oh please spare me there are differences btw different ethinic groups and races ! and india had its share

In khi mohajirs now have a direct tussle with taliban and AQ ! we are fighting on our own

 

[Evil Flare]

The real game in Karachi – are Karachiites being killed to keep the federal and KP governments afloat? « Karachi Target Killing

 

[ice_man]

the problem has become that karachi people have become TOTAL RACIST!! TOWARDS PUNJABIS,PATHANS,SINDHIS & BALOCHIS(liyari)! its shameful to see educated people just keep on ranting about same nonsense the blame keeps falling in the lap of PPP & ANP as if MQM is a saint party! 3 Ms have destroyed pakistan

1)Mullah
2)Military
3)MQM

 

[Evil Flare]

the problem has become that karachi people have become TOTAL RACIST!! TOWARDS PUNJABIS,PATHANS,SINDHIS & BALOCHIS(liyari)! its shameful to see educated people just keep on ranting about same nonsense the blame keeps falling in the lap of PPP & ANP as if MQM is a saint party! 3 Ms have destroyed pakistan

1)Mullah
2)Military
3)MQM

Let me advice you ... Please don't post if you know nothing ..

you should back your claims with some solid proof

 

[ice_man]

Let me advice you ... Please don't post if you know nothing ..

you should back your claims with some solid proof

well firstly YOU shouldn't be talking about proof because all mqm boys have one line starting "i heard from a friend" anyways as for "proof" the ethnic cleansing happening in karachi is proof for itself!

go from one thread ot naother and you will read is MQM fan boys writting "PATHANS ARE KILLING PATHANS ARE FIRING PATHAN THUGS" or "PPP THUGS LIYARI THUGS" "SINDHI WADERAS" "PUNJABI JAGIRDARAS" "PATHAN TALIBAN"

tell me do these communities not have normal human beings? its like sayign every urdu speaking is MQM! its a true racist statement to hold a whole ethnicity responsible for the actions of a few people!!