Rangers directed to conduct operation in Karachi
In a bid to restore peace in Karachi, the Sindh government on Tuesday directed the Rangers to conduct targeted operation in the areas hit by violence.
The Frontier Constabulary which is acting as a backup support to the law enforcement agencies in Karachi was also given special police powers which they can exercise when required.
These decisions were taken at a high-level meeting in Chief Minister (CM) Qaim Ali Shah’s house in Karachi which was jointly chaired by the CM and the Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
Law enforcement agencies, including the police and the Rangers, were also directed to take indiscriminate and prompt actions against the criminals and were tasked to restore peace in the city at any cost.
The meeting decided to provide cash reward of Rs10 million to anyone providing photographic or video evidence of the target killers, while those providing tips about the target killers will get Rs5 million.
The names of those providing information will be kept confidential.
IG Sindh Wajid Durrani said that 91 target killers were arrested who have allegedly confessed to killing 191 people. He was hopeful that information gained from arrested killers will lead up to more arrests.
The interior minister and the CM appealed to the people as well as the political and religious groups in the city to work towards peace and harmony in the city.
Mayhem in Karachi, bloodbath continues
Thirty four people have lost their lives in the ongoing wave of target killings in Karachi in last 24 hours, including five in overnight shooting incidents. MQM chief Altaf Hussain has given a 48 hour notice to President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to stop bloodshed in Karachi.
Unidentified armed men attacked a factory in the Industrial Zone of Ahsanabad with more than 1500 factory workers trapped inside. Armed with sophisticated weapons, the men also torched more than 100 motorbikes in the parking zone of the factory, while firing constantly.
Police and Rangers reached the site almost an hour after the attack began and took another hour to regain control of the area.
Meanwhile, in separate incidents, four people were shot dead in Muhammadi Goth, New Karachi, Safora Goth and SITE area.
20 others have been killed in incidents of violence in Orangi Town, Surjani Town, Pak Colony, Landhi, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Korangi and other areas.
Miscreants also damaged public property in Surjani, Pak Colony, Orangi and other areas. According to police, more then seven vehicles including a passenger bus were burnt.
Exhausted with continuous violence, residents of Pak colony took to the streets to protest against target killings. Protesters torched tyres and chanted slogans against the violence.
Updated from print version (below)
MQM warns against ‘bid to take over Karachi’
As 28 people were killed in fresh violence in Karachi on Monday, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) accused some elements backed by the Sindh government of trying to take over its stronghold.
“We won’t let anybody take over Karachi,” MQM lawmaker Wasim Ahmed warned in the National Assembly on Monday, indicating that resurging political violence in the country’s financial hub was far from over.
Wasim said what was happening in Karachi should not be termed a turf war. Rather, it reflected attempts by a particular group who wanted to take the city hostage.
He, however, did not specify who within the Sindh government was backing these elements, although his party had in the past been accusing senior minister Zulfikar Mirza of ‘hatching conspiracies’ against them.
He spoke after MQM lawmakers staged a walkout from the lower house of parliament to protest over the government’s ‘indifference’ on violence in Karachi, followed by lawmakers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulama-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).
“Nobody seems to be serious in bringing peace back to Karachi. Everyone wants to control the city with guns…but I tell you that this is not going to happen,” Wasim said, after Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani left the house, ignoring Ahmed’s remarks.
In Karachi, Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Hussain Wassan said that he knew what was happening in the provincial metropolis and would soon call a meeting to discuss the situation.
He was talking to media at MQM headquarters popularly known as ‘Nine-Zero’ where he came as part of his initiative to take all stakeholders into confidence.
“I will take a clear position as the home minister of Sindh,” he said. Expressing his resolve to restore peace in Karachi, Wassan said that action would be taken against “all mafias, land-grabbers and drug dealers”.
He said that after a long time he had contacted the MQM chief, who had assured him (Wassan) of his and party’s cooperation for peace in Karachi.
“I cannot forget his (Altaf Hussain’s) words…he said he is a son of Sindh and was willing to lay down his life for Sindh, would fight for the province’s rights.”
He said that rallies were “not enough to restore peace in the city…terrorists must realise that the government will take strict action if they did not desist”, the Sindh home minister said. He also assured MQM leaders that their reservations would be addressed.
Dr Sagheer Ahmed later told the media that the MQM was ready to support any drive for peace in the city.
He said that the Sindh home minister had been thoroughly briefed about “nexus between various terrorist groups, mafias and their modus operandi”.
“We appreciate the efforts made by the Sindh home minister and await implementation on his directives.”
Correction: An earlier version of the story was running an old caption. The change has been made.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 2nd, 2011.
COMMENTS (46)
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Going shopping in the afternoon for the one month rations. I hope they can hold off whatever violent campaign they have planned for karachi till the evening.
Rangers with their capacity and will to work can only assist a surgeon in civil hospital operation. They have been least effective like our beloved police. Both these depts should be disolved they are nothing but waste of tax money.
This is the outcome of the civilized trying to use civilized terms when dealing with the morally bankrupt and uncivilized. It's not pretty. The strategy is wrong. You are not going to end this by using armed guards and patrols. The enemy has the advantage of blending in. They'll just wait and kill them at the best opportunity. What needs to be done first is not direct confrontation. It's surveillance. They need to be looked for and monitored, not looked for and killed right now. It's a nasty concept, I know. However, picking them off randomly isn't going to get anyone anywhere. Locations and affiliations need to be confirmed and they have to be taken out in groups, rather than allowing them to know their friend just got killed and they need to temporarily lay low and blend in before starting up again. Innocents will die both ways. Soldiers/Law enforcement will die both ways. Enemies will die both ways. Those are not things that can be changed. The only decision that exists to be made right now is one nobody will be happy about. That is, the choice between... Ending it as quickly as possible, regretfully acknowledging the innocent deaths that will come. or Continue to drag it out one shot at a time, which will also result in the deaths of the innocent, only in smaller numbers that will, as time goes on, result in the deaths of innocents that add up to numbers far above that of what would come from using the previous method.
There is no win, no happy ending, and more importantly no way of protecting people other than removing the threat in its entirety. The rational way of looking at it is to come to terms with the fact that while the underhanded are not respectable, they are at a major advantage due to the fact they can predict your moves based on knowing your values while you have to live in complete paranoia of them being around every corner. Acknowledge you're dealing with predators that are only human by sight. You're hunting out of necessity for survival. Not trying to resolve a simple disagreement between people.
Lets see if it works or not, it all depend upon the NEEAT of the govt.
MQM, ANP, PPP and haqiqi need to put down weapons for peace otherwise there is no end to this violence! All these so called liberal parties need to practice what they preach! This brutality in Karachi is no less than what they accuse the Taliban for!
Every one Know the target killer and bata khor mafia already controled by the terrorist and violence karachi now its simple some other terrorist want to be share this bata khori so these two groups fighting for control the areas the people of karachi so decent there are no any Pashtoon,Majhir,sindhi etc. these all Pakistani but just this bata khor mafia make border among the heart and this city wake up people of Karachi and kick out this bata khor land mafia and drug mafia stop this terrorism Government is failed by has policy mufahat.
The MQM Chief Mr. Altaf Hussain has asked people of Karachi to buy one month’s house hold stuff (ration), as despite giving an ultimatum and lapse of 48 hours, the law enforcing agencies could not control law and order in Karachi.
In the recent wave of target killings more particularly when the Senior Minister of Sindh Mr. Zulfiqar Mirza while address to the press at the residence of Mr. Shahi Syed of ANP few days back, Mr. Zulfiqar Mirza has said that when Mohajir’s came from India they were hungry and without clothes.
Pir Mazharul Haq, the Education Minister of Sindh has also said that it was Sindhi elderly people who welcome the Mohajir’s in Karachi after the partition.
Despite the fact that holy month of Ramadan has begin, there seems to be no respite in the target killings by the different factions/groups who have become uncontrollable due to which the law and order situation is going from bad to worst.
I can see that worst time is going to come in Karachi which will bring political tsunami in which thousands of people will be killed alone in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukker by the people of different factions.
The government should control the situation and ask the army to take appropriate action to avoid the possible biggest massacre which might take in Karachi in the coming days.
May God give wisdom to the leaders of various political parties to think that killing each other is not the solution of problems? The issues should be resolved through dialogue and not by the force of bullets and at the cost of precious human lives.
There are twice the number of Punjabi speaking muhajir's descendents in Pakistan, yet they have assimilated themselves throughout Pakistan. The MQM have a problem with Balochis. They have a problem with Pathans. They have a problem with Sindhis. They have a problem with Punjabis. They have a problem with both the religious and the secular political parties. They have a problem with other urdu speakers in the MQM-HAQIQI and Biharis. So are all of MQM's opponents wrong? Or is the MQM wrong which has a problem with everyone else?
Every one Know the target killer and bata khor mafia already controled by the terrorist and violence karachi now its simple some other terrorist want to be share this bata khori so these two groups fighting for control the areas the people of karachi so decent there are no any Pashtoon,Majhir,sindhi etc. these all Pakistani but just this bata khor mafia make border among the heart and this city wake up people of Karachi and kick out this bata khor land mafia and drug mafia stop this terrorism Government is failed by has policy mufahat.
@Shahid Malik: What are you talking about? It seems you're not too well-informed about the origins and causes of MQM. They formed because they believed that the Sindhi-dominated provincial government was giving undue proportion of seats in universities to Sindhi students at the expense of Mohajir ones. So I would say that the root cause of what is happening in Karachi goes back to (of course, what else?) the PPP, and they have now again resurged as the prime instigator of violence today as well. Not that the MQM should not be held responsible for their reckless reactions either of course - but we all know where the root cause of the violence lies; it lies within a certain parasite, diligent in the business of sucking the blood of its hosts, it can be found dwelling in the President's house from time to time, when it is not in foreign lands in search of thicker blood to suck (bas naam na bolna is cheez ki, roza na tut jaye).
@pardesi.....ALOT and dont u ever forget that....
It is surprising to see that none of the comments above blame foreign hands. Are the Pakistanis really changing their minds?
I propose that all party leaders including Asif Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, Altaf Hussain, Fazalur Rahman, Syed Munawar Hussain, Asfandyar Wali, Chaudhry Shujaat, Imran Khan, Afaq & others should hold a Peace Conference in Karachi to give a message to all concerned that they want peace and sincerely mean it. If our leadership cannot sit together even now, when will they? Second tier leaders cannot deliver. Top leadership needs to give a clear & strong message. After the Conference, they should go out in the city of Karachi for a Peace Walk.
@naeem khan: Mohajirs did not call themselves that. They were called that in the 1951 census. It is the provinces that did not accept them whole heartedly as they (mohajirs) got the top jobs due to higher education rate. MQM was a retaliation against the discrimination.
what is the difference between Pakistan and Somalia?
@Nd - For sure sooner or later the leadership in Pakistan will have to face the tune and answer, and by God will be held accountable about this blood bath in Karachi. Their lame excuses and statements do not hold water any more. It's worh spitting and a big shame!!! But please do not use any excuse to negate the genocide in the Indian occupied Kashmir as that stands on its own crime! One crime cannot and will not wash out another crime.
@Sohail M: Zia tried many tricks. You are right. There were grievances of Mohajirs. Some of those grievances were genuine. So, Mohajir card worked. It is not a question of posting party propaganda. As a commoner, my only approach is analytical. It is time that Altaf Hussain returns to Pakistan. He has a large following. When MQM announces protest, people start getting killed. When he appeals for peace, things return to normal. It will be a great service to the nation if he returns forthwith and work for peace & harmony. If he decides to come back, I am sure, he will be a great asset in support of problem resolution. USA tries to remote control Pakistan and if our popular leaders also decide to remote control us, it will be double jeopardy.
Pervez Musharraf times were the best Benzair,Nawaz always failed to mainatin law and order,now again they are failing,only1999-2008 till musharraf was the ruler ,karachi was in peace! jeye musharaf!
When would these people in Karachi stop calling themselves Mohajirs, you are Pakistani Sindhi period, Do you realize that there are others living all over Pakistan who's ancestors immigrated from India.Don't make their lives miserable and unsafe.Please call yourself Pakistanis from different provinces.
@Nauman Ali: "…….and what will happen after the 48 hours ultimatum?……." He will go back to work on the same wages.
@Shahid Malik: Going by your account of how great Benazir was and how effective Naseerullah Babar was everything should be hunky dory in no time because BB's successor is running the country now and surely following her will and policies. Even Naseerullah Babar's job has been taken over behind the doors by Zulfiqar Mirza in eliminating the bhatta khors of Khuda Ki Basti and Orangi. Jeeay Bhutto.
People of Khi vote these incompetant people into power and the others that dnt vote at all,this is what you get.
@ Shahid Malik: Please avoid posting party propaganda. You cannot control people's will with force and that is why feudalistic leadership of Pakistan has consistently failed in Karachi (Benazir, Nawaz). Additionally, large political parties cannot be created (by Zia) without deep resentment or underlying sentiments. Unfortunately, this is yet again another attempt for power grab with innocent lives getting lost.
' He said he is the son of sindh and will lay his life for em hahahahahahahahahahah thats why living in london and got killed innocent peoples including muhajirs of karachi. nice work by all pakistan great politician. i think only bhutto family was brave and real pakistani who died for this land but never left for so long.
Situation is Karachi is extremely critical. It used to be a city of peace till Zia appeared on the scene. All through his eleven year rule, his supreme obsession was PPP. In order to weaken PPP in Sindh, he promoted MQM. After that, Karachi ceased to be what it was.
During the second tenure of Benazir Bhutto, Naseerullah Babar did a great job in restoring law and order as well as getting rid of bhata mafia to a great extent.
It is a tragedy in our country that when it comes to politicking, the politicians, agencies and judiciary play it no holds barred. The good work done by Naseerullah Babar became one of the reasons to dismiss BB's government. Now things have gone out of control and we can do nothing more than complain.
It may not be out of place to mention here the problem of energy shortage in Pakistan. A lot of energy projects were completed during BB's second tenure and many more were planned. Nawaz Sharif scandalised those also. (I am nobody to exonerate anybody regarding kickbacks issue.) When Nawaz came into power, he scuttled all pending energy projects. Unlike Benazir, he never had any vision of our future energy needs. I wonder if scandalised energy projects had not been set-up, where would we be standing today?
We have talked a lot about hydel power. Nawaz Sharif's mentor made Kalabagh controversial to divert public attention away from elections. No previous government moved a single inch to at least start work on other non-controversial projects. It goes to the credit of Asif Zardari that at least he has taken a start. Hydel power will take a long time to come in the national grid but somebody had to take a start.
Had it not been for self-serving politics of Nawaz Sharif, I feel we would not have had energy problem today nor would we be faced with the Karachi situation.
30 is a very less number .... it should have been 300 or may be 600 in 24 hours... anyways ... Ramadan way to go !! :D
People will keep getting killed and these law enforcement agencies will sustain their inaction and patronization. This is the predicament of Karachi. karachitargetkilling.wordpress.com
@Ahmed khan: Pakistan zindabad
@Yasser: Very interesting article and makes a lot of sense
One seriously wonders if the government has the will and/or capacity to stop this mayhem. This killing is madness.
I would like to see a change of the team managing security in Karachi. It has failed...plain and simple
.......and what will happen after the 48 hours ultimatum?.......
What a way to start Ramzan in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan..it's amazing how there isn't even one person directly held responsible- even Express doesnt know who what why? Meanwhile life and laughter carry on in other parts of this forsaken city. Truly disgusted.
What is the PARLIAMENT doing about the VIOLENCE????. Daily people are dying. Bring in EMERGENCY rule. Cordone off the whole of KARACHI. Declare all posession of weapons to be illegal. Under emergency rule, do a house to house search for weapons and jail the people found with weapons. Drastic action is required!!!!!. People are DYING and for WHAT????? Time for talking is over....
Any self respecting government would have resigned and stepped aside.
@M: what wrong with the caption?
It`s truly depressing during the Ramadan Time to see brothers killing each other & all these blood letting which is resulting in loss of business resulting in livelihood of many. Unfortunately, the violence repeats every few years. Without doubt, this is truly a sectarian ethnic conflict & to overcome this, there are few options like de-weaponizing the city which is seemingly impossible. Another option is creation of provinces catering to different sects such that Interests of different ethnic groups are safeguarded. An awareness campaign must be launched in the media highlighting the plight of families who lost their near and dear. Hopefully, this will prick the conscience of these killers during this holy month and the killings end.
Rest in peace. .
Pakistan should stop this bloodbath and then said anything to India on human right violation.
Allah Almighty said in the Quran that who so ever kills through a planned action their abode will be " Jahanam" and they will reside there for ever. It should be understood that all those involved in these henious crimes,whether they plan or they execute and whether they are Political Parties,their leaders their cadres or other terrorists, every one is answerable to AlMighty Allah and their interests in this world will surely earn them "Jahanam" which has been ordained in the HOLY Quran.
An article by Saleem Safi on the situation of Karachi http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/jul2011-daily/12-07-2011/col3.htm
Please fix ur photo caption.
Truly depressing!
Hollow words - all.
probably less Pakistanis died fighting India. Also body count is 100 times more than Kashmir. Ramzan under curfew? Hope u people realise this.