Gunbattle continues: Mauripur Road - more than a thoroughfare in Lyari
Insiders claim fight in volatile neighbourhood is all about access to road that leads to port.
Several women took part in the protest against what they called was the government’s apathy to their problems. A policeman aims his gun at the protesters marching towards CM House. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ONLINE
KARACHI:
For most Karachi residents Mauripur Road is the route they take to head to the beach but, for the criminals in Lyari, access to this road is the key to winning this turf war.
Insiders have reason to believe that access to this main road, which heads directly to the port, is the reason why violence continues unabated. “It is true that they do not want to fight with the Kutchi or anyone else,” admitted an official. “They only want access to Mauripur Road but the resistance put up by the Kutchis forced them to fight.”
The main routes to access this road are Mirza Adam Khan Road, Peoples Stadium or ICI Pull but due to the presence of law enforcers and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in Old City areas, such as Kharadar, their only option is to target Kutchi-dominated areas, including Hungorabad, Gul Mohammad, Suleman Azad Road, Jumma Baloch Road, Ghausia Road and Taj Masjid Road. “Everyone knows where the gangsters procured these sophisticated weapons,” said Kutchi leader Hussain Kutchi. “Of course, they collected all of this after looting the NATO containers in the past.” Hussain believed that they are planning on adding to their collection because they know the NATO supplies will pass through here when they exit Afghanistan.
The Kutchi community was reluctant to provide this easy access to Mauripur Road because they feared they will lose their areas, Hussain added.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Aman Committee (PAC) denied these allegations. They felt a “third force” was disrupting law and order in Lyari. “We own Lyari. How can we disturb our own neighbourhood?” asked PAC leader Zafar Baloch. “We don’t want negative news in the media about Lyari but some elements continue to hatch conspiracies against Lyari to destabilise the government.”
Meanwhile, the law enforcers believed the situation would have stayed in control had political parties withdrawn their backing. “This is a political issue,” admitted city police chief, Ghulam Qadir Thebu. Reluctant to name the infamous ‘third force’, Thebu said it is time to unearth it. He denied the police or Rangers were supporting either of the groups. Similarly, the Rangers also denied their support for any one group. “A criminal is a criminal, and everyone knows what is going on in Lyari,” said a Rangers official.
Violence continues
On the sixth consecutive day, the Kutchi community had evacuated nearly half of their areas following five more deaths and several injuries. Several houses were also damaged in attacks with RPG rockets and grenades. This week’s violence worsened after the killing of Lyari’s notorious gangster, Saqib Boxer, who was killed in an alleged encounter with the Rangers.
Meanwhile, a watchman in Mandra Muhalla - Shakeel Kutchi - was also killed in firing by Rangers, according to witnesses. “He tried to escape when he saw the Rangers entering the neighbourhood,” recalled Usman Kutchi, another resident. “His killing was similar to that of Sarfaraz Shah.”
Tensions also escalated when several Kutchi men and women tried to take the body of a deceased, Shoaib, to CM House. “The law enforcers did not let us cross Mauripur Road,” said Hussain, the community leader. “We resisted the tear-gas shells and water cannons that the police directed at us but we dispersed when the gangsters opened fire from all sides.”
Besides Mauripur Road, protests were also held in other parts of city by Kutchi community, including Keamari, ICI Bridge, Malir Halt and outside the Corps Commander office on Sharae Faisal, and CM House, which caused massive traffic jams.
“We have realised we are not under attack by the gangsters but also by the government, the Rangers and the police,” claimed Kutchi Rabta Committee leader Daud Kutchi. “We have culminated our protests and, within three days, we will announce our strategy after consulting our community elders. That will be our final decision.”
Meanwhile, PAC’s Zafar Baloch added that rockets and mortar shells were also being fired by the rival group members, which has resulted in several injuries of Baloch men. Members of the PAC also staged a protest against these attacks on Mauripur Road on Friday evening.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2013.
For most Karachi residents Mauripur Road is the route they take to head to the beach but, for the criminals in Lyari, access to this road is the key to winning this turf war.
Insiders have reason to believe that access to this main road, which heads directly to the port, is the reason why violence continues unabated. “It is true that they do not want to fight with the Kutchi or anyone else,” admitted an official. “They only want access to Mauripur Road but the resistance put up by the Kutchis forced them to fight.”
The main routes to access this road are Mirza Adam Khan Road, Peoples Stadium or ICI Pull but due to the presence of law enforcers and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in Old City areas, such as Kharadar, their only option is to target Kutchi-dominated areas, including Hungorabad, Gul Mohammad, Suleman Azad Road, Jumma Baloch Road, Ghausia Road and Taj Masjid Road. “Everyone knows where the gangsters procured these sophisticated weapons,” said Kutchi leader Hussain Kutchi. “Of course, they collected all of this after looting the NATO containers in the past.” Hussain believed that they are planning on adding to their collection because they know the NATO supplies will pass through here when they exit Afghanistan.
The Kutchi community was reluctant to provide this easy access to Mauripur Road because they feared they will lose their areas, Hussain added.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Aman Committee (PAC) denied these allegations. They felt a “third force” was disrupting law and order in Lyari. “We own Lyari. How can we disturb our own neighbourhood?” asked PAC leader Zafar Baloch. “We don’t want negative news in the media about Lyari but some elements continue to hatch conspiracies against Lyari to destabilise the government.”
Meanwhile, the law enforcers believed the situation would have stayed in control had political parties withdrawn their backing. “This is a political issue,” admitted city police chief, Ghulam Qadir Thebu. Reluctant to name the infamous ‘third force’, Thebu said it is time to unearth it. He denied the police or Rangers were supporting either of the groups. Similarly, the Rangers also denied their support for any one group. “A criminal is a criminal, and everyone knows what is going on in Lyari,” said a Rangers official.
Violence continues
On the sixth consecutive day, the Kutchi community had evacuated nearly half of their areas following five more deaths and several injuries. Several houses were also damaged in attacks with RPG rockets and grenades. This week’s violence worsened after the killing of Lyari’s notorious gangster, Saqib Boxer, who was killed in an alleged encounter with the Rangers.
Meanwhile, a watchman in Mandra Muhalla - Shakeel Kutchi - was also killed in firing by Rangers, according to witnesses. “He tried to escape when he saw the Rangers entering the neighbourhood,” recalled Usman Kutchi, another resident. “His killing was similar to that of Sarfaraz Shah.”
Tensions also escalated when several Kutchi men and women tried to take the body of a deceased, Shoaib, to CM House. “The law enforcers did not let us cross Mauripur Road,” said Hussain, the community leader. “We resisted the tear-gas shells and water cannons that the police directed at us but we dispersed when the gangsters opened fire from all sides.”
Besides Mauripur Road, protests were also held in other parts of city by Kutchi community, including Keamari, ICI Bridge, Malir Halt and outside the Corps Commander office on Sharae Faisal, and CM House, which caused massive traffic jams.
“We have realised we are not under attack by the gangsters but also by the government, the Rangers and the police,” claimed Kutchi Rabta Committee leader Daud Kutchi. “We have culminated our protests and, within three days, we will announce our strategy after consulting our community elders. That will be our final decision.”
Meanwhile, PAC’s Zafar Baloch added that rockets and mortar shells were also being fired by the rival group members, which has resulted in several injuries of Baloch men. Members of the PAC also staged a protest against these attacks on Mauripur Road on Friday evening.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2013.