The gangster who fell: Life and times of Baba Ladla
Peace seems to be limping back to Lyari, which has largely remained restive since 1970s.
Lyari gangster Noor Muhammad alias Baba Ladla. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
Lyari, one of the old city areas, was famous for its multi-ethnic and cultural harmony, until gangs made their inroads into the locality in the 1970s. While Lyari has largely remained restive in the past, many see peace limping back with the killing of yet another notorious gangster, Baba Ladla.
Residents are positive that the idea of ‘a state within the state’ is increasingly being crushed. With Rehmat Dakait having been killed in an encounter in 2009 and Uzair Baloch in custody, Baba Ladla’s killing seems to have raised hopes.
Since the 1970s, Lyari has seen gangsters such as Kala Nang, Babu Dakait, Haji Lalu (father of Arshad Pappu), Dad Muhammad alias Dadal (father of Rehman Dakait) and Sher Muhammad alias Shero emerge. These gangs operated in different areas. However, the drug business that soared in the 1980s led to clashes between these groups, giving birth to the coinage of ‘gang war’. The gangs then divided the areas, killing the members and supporters of rivals and making Lyari a no-go area. In one way or another, political forces were assumed to be patronising the various groups involved.
Lyari gang war leader Baba Ladla killed in Rangers operation
The main character of Lyari, Rehman Dakait, emerged in the 1990s. During his tenure, it became increasingly difficult for the police to enter the area. Numerous raids and operation yielded little to no result. Nevertheless, Dakait was killed in 2009 in an encounter with late SSP Chaudhry Aslam. His successors, including Noor Muhammad alia Baba Ladla, took over the area with the help of Uzair Baloch and other gangsters.
In his early days, Baba Ladla joined the Rehman Dakait gang. Even after the killing of the Lyari kingpin, Ladla remained active in the gang. Soon he became a chief operational commander of the Dakait gang by the end of 2008. Large numbers of Dakait gang’s senior commanders, including Ustad Taju, Jabbar Jhengu and Mullah Nisar, were under his command.
In 2009, he became more famous when the Dakait gang captured the entire Lyari neighbourhood except for the Ali Muhammad Muhalla, also known as Zikri Muhalla. Zikri Muhalla was under the reign of Ghaffar Zikri, who was operating under Dakait’s rival gang leader, Arshad Pappu. Pappu was imprisoned at that time.
The gang war between Pappu and Dakait was now directly among the chief operational commanders of the two gangs - Zikri of Pappu group and Ladla of Dakait group.
Bail granted: PPP leader released from jail
Finally, after a yearlong gang war, Ladla decided to join hands with Zikri after taking Dakait into confidence. The two groups started to work with each other in Lyari.
Enter Uzair Baloch, who became the new chief of the gang. Karachi then witnessed massive violence between Uzair’s Peoples Aman Committee (PAC) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), following the recovery of the beheaded body of an MQM worker from surroundings of Lyari in 2012. He was believed to have been abducted and killed by the PAC or Ladla gang. Things took an ugly turn and a series of abduction-cum-killings of rivals began. The conflict had an ethnic tinge, too, and people from both the sides also started killing those of different ethnicities.
After the general elections in 2013, the PAC clashed with the Kutchi community, which dominated at least one part of Lyari, Kalri and its surroundings. The Kutchi community was also supported by the MQM and Ghaffar Zikri group.
Differences began to emerge between the Baba Ladla and Uzair Baloch factions. The clash with KRC coupled with Uzair Baloch’s silence over arrests and killings of Ladla’s gang operatives in the beginning of the Karachi operation in 2013 soured relations between the two. Fighting began and Zafar Baloch, a key leader of PAC and Uzair’s closed confidante, was killed by Ladla and his men over the same issues. Uzair took refuge abroad. He was arrested last year.
Though the ongoing operation seems to have broken the backbone of Lyari-based gangs, a few key leaders and rivals, including Zikri, Mullah Nisar, Ayaz Zehri, Faisal Pathan, Wasiullah Lakho and Ustad Taju, have reportedly gone underground and are still operating.
Separate raids: Rangers arrest five suspects
“Zubair Baloch who had developed differences with Baba Ladla also operates in the area,” says a senior police official. “Since there is no heir of Baba Ladla, the gang of Uzair Baloch may emerge again. But it all depends on the intent to continue this operation. If Karachi operation is halted, Uzair Baloch gang will be able to control Lyari.”
TIMELINE:
Man who died twice before
August 2015
It was reported that notorious gangster Baba Ladla was killed in an exchange of fire with Iranian border security forces near Iran's border with Pakistan. Later, security officials denied this report.
May 2014
Reports emerged that Baba Ladla was killed by Iranian border guards at a border crossing point near the Iranian city of Chabahar when he was crossing the border. Pakistani authorities did not verify this either.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 3rd, 2017.
Lyari, one of the old city areas, was famous for its multi-ethnic and cultural harmony, until gangs made their inroads into the locality in the 1970s. While Lyari has largely remained restive in the past, many see peace limping back with the killing of yet another notorious gangster, Baba Ladla.
Residents are positive that the idea of ‘a state within the state’ is increasingly being crushed. With Rehmat Dakait having been killed in an encounter in 2009 and Uzair Baloch in custody, Baba Ladla’s killing seems to have raised hopes.
Since the 1970s, Lyari has seen gangsters such as Kala Nang, Babu Dakait, Haji Lalu (father of Arshad Pappu), Dad Muhammad alias Dadal (father of Rehman Dakait) and Sher Muhammad alias Shero emerge. These gangs operated in different areas. However, the drug business that soared in the 1980s led to clashes between these groups, giving birth to the coinage of ‘gang war’. The gangs then divided the areas, killing the members and supporters of rivals and making Lyari a no-go area. In one way or another, political forces were assumed to be patronising the various groups involved.
Lyari gang war leader Baba Ladla killed in Rangers operation
The main character of Lyari, Rehman Dakait, emerged in the 1990s. During his tenure, it became increasingly difficult for the police to enter the area. Numerous raids and operation yielded little to no result. Nevertheless, Dakait was killed in 2009 in an encounter with late SSP Chaudhry Aslam. His successors, including Noor Muhammad alia Baba Ladla, took over the area with the help of Uzair Baloch and other gangsters.
In his early days, Baba Ladla joined the Rehman Dakait gang. Even after the killing of the Lyari kingpin, Ladla remained active in the gang. Soon he became a chief operational commander of the Dakait gang by the end of 2008. Large numbers of Dakait gang’s senior commanders, including Ustad Taju, Jabbar Jhengu and Mullah Nisar, were under his command.
In 2009, he became more famous when the Dakait gang captured the entire Lyari neighbourhood except for the Ali Muhammad Muhalla, also known as Zikri Muhalla. Zikri Muhalla was under the reign of Ghaffar Zikri, who was operating under Dakait’s rival gang leader, Arshad Pappu. Pappu was imprisoned at that time.
The gang war between Pappu and Dakait was now directly among the chief operational commanders of the two gangs - Zikri of Pappu group and Ladla of Dakait group.
Bail granted: PPP leader released from jail
Finally, after a yearlong gang war, Ladla decided to join hands with Zikri after taking Dakait into confidence. The two groups started to work with each other in Lyari.
Enter Uzair Baloch, who became the new chief of the gang. Karachi then witnessed massive violence between Uzair’s Peoples Aman Committee (PAC) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), following the recovery of the beheaded body of an MQM worker from surroundings of Lyari in 2012. He was believed to have been abducted and killed by the PAC or Ladla gang. Things took an ugly turn and a series of abduction-cum-killings of rivals began. The conflict had an ethnic tinge, too, and people from both the sides also started killing those of different ethnicities.
After the general elections in 2013, the PAC clashed with the Kutchi community, which dominated at least one part of Lyari, Kalri and its surroundings. The Kutchi community was also supported by the MQM and Ghaffar Zikri group.
Differences began to emerge between the Baba Ladla and Uzair Baloch factions. The clash with KRC coupled with Uzair Baloch’s silence over arrests and killings of Ladla’s gang operatives in the beginning of the Karachi operation in 2013 soured relations between the two. Fighting began and Zafar Baloch, a key leader of PAC and Uzair’s closed confidante, was killed by Ladla and his men over the same issues. Uzair took refuge abroad. He was arrested last year.
Though the ongoing operation seems to have broken the backbone of Lyari-based gangs, a few key leaders and rivals, including Zikri, Mullah Nisar, Ayaz Zehri, Faisal Pathan, Wasiullah Lakho and Ustad Taju, have reportedly gone underground and are still operating.
Separate raids: Rangers arrest five suspects
“Zubair Baloch who had developed differences with Baba Ladla also operates in the area,” says a senior police official. “Since there is no heir of Baba Ladla, the gang of Uzair Baloch may emerge again. But it all depends on the intent to continue this operation. If Karachi operation is halted, Uzair Baloch gang will be able to control Lyari.”
TIMELINE:
Man who died twice before
August 2015
It was reported that notorious gangster Baba Ladla was killed in an exchange of fire with Iranian border security forces near Iran's border with Pakistan. Later, security officials denied this report.
May 2014
Reports emerged that Baba Ladla was killed by Iranian border guards at a border crossing point near the Iranian city of Chabahar when he was crossing the border. Pakistani authorities did not verify this either.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 3rd, 2017.