Tension mounts: Fear grips Lyari as cracker attack kills child

Residents believe burst of violence aims to dissuade them from attending PPP rally on Sunday

KARACHI:

Fear has gripped Lyari again. With bursts of gunfire and half a dozen blasts in the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) stronghold on Tuesday and Wednesday, a young girl was killed while several others were wounded.

On Wednesday, five-year-old Zainab, daughter of Raj Muhammad, was playing outside when unknown motorcyclists threw a cracker bomb at the Hiranand compound on Chakiwara Road, within the limits of the Napier police station. Critically injured, she was rushed to Civil Hospital, Karachi, while the attackers fled. Dr Nisar Ali Shah, the senior medico-legal officer at the hospital, said that she had received head injuries and was brought in dead.

SHO Azam Khan suspects the incident happened over refusal to pay extortion money for a building under construction next door to the compound.

For the people of Lyari, however, the gunshots and explosions are ‘messages’ from the area’s anti-PPP elements. They believe that a tense atmosphere is being created in order to keep them away from Kakri Ground on Sunday, when the party’s top leadership will attend a public gathering in Lyari after a long time.

After all, the situation was similar in Lyari just before PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari officially entered politics in a public gathering at the Mazar-e-Quaid on October 18 last year. Lyari’s residents, traditionally diehard PPP supporters who turn out with full force and enthusiasm at such rallies, could not participate in that gathering either.

Wednesday’s attack was not the first attack this week either. On Tuesday, two children and an elderly woman were injured in a grenade explosion at Kakri Ground, where over 200 party workers had gathered along with PPP leaders such as MPAs Javed Nagori and Sania Naz, PPP Karachi Division general secretary Najmi Alam and PPP South District president Haji Qasim Baloch.

Other blasts also took place in Shah Baig Lane and Kumbhwara late on Tuesday night, while unidentified men opened fire in various parts of Lyari, heightening the fear among the residents.

The local party leadership plans to set up camps by tonight (Thursday) and has already put up banners. Sources confirmed that some of these had been torn down and burnt in Baghdadi and Kalakot. Meanwhile, a procession is being planned from Nawa Lane to Kakri Ground to reassure the people that they can participate in the gathering on April 26.

“Some people want to create panic,” claimed Lyari MNA Shahjahan Baloch. “The anti-PPP elements fear that the gathering will be historic.” He added that there was a massive response from the people of Lyari, however. “They welcome the gathering.”

PPP South District vice-president Muhammad Usman also confirmed the atmosphere of fear but remained optimistic. “Let them try their evil schemes. PPP jiyalas are not afraid of anything.”

Although the PPP won from Lyari in the 2013 general elections, residents are not happy with the party. Usman accepted this, saying that the party knew that they were displeased with the decisions made by the top leadership. Keeping their anger in mind, however, the PPP has decided to address their complaints.

A resident told The Express Tribune that they were being offered jobs in the public sector. Many community elders have also been approached with requests to put aside their grievances and participate in the rally.

A party office-bearer informed The Express Tribune that a large development package will be announced for Lyari on Sunday. “Lyari General Hospital will be handed over to Bahria Town,” he disclosed, saying that more development projects were expected to be announced by PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari. “The anger of Lyari’s people will be buried forever once the package is announced — I hope.”

additional input by Faraz Khan

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2015.