Matters of concern: ‘Peace has remained elusive in Lyari because the PPP wishes so’
We back targeted operations in Lyari as suggested by Nisar, says Hussain Haroon.
Thousands of people have been affected by the strife in Lyari, leading to the displacement of many and also resulting in dozens of deaths. Haroon said the peace has remained elusive in Lyari because the Pakistan Peoples Party wishes so. PHOTO: AYESHA MIR/THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE
HYDERABAD:
As the hostilities in Lyari refuse to die down, the political stakeholders remain divided as to which approach for law enforcement should be applied - while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement demands army operation in Karachi, including Lyari, others come up with different options.
The former Pakistani Ambassador to the United Nations, Hussain Haroon, who also leads the Kutchi community, said that he supports the way put forward by the interior minister Chaudhry Nisar. “We back targeted operations in Lyari as suggested by Nisar,” he said at a press conference on Saturday.
Thousands of people have been affected by the strife in Lyari, leading to the displacement of many and also resulting in dozens of deaths. Haroon said the peace has remained elusive in Lyari because the Pakistan Peoples Party wishes so.
“When I was in the UN, I warned President Zardari that I will leave this job and would return to Karachi to stand with my people. I asked him to stop his people from killing Kutchis.”
He maintained that infighting in Lyari is not between Baloch and Katchi people. The PPP-backed Amn Committee is behind the unrest, he added. Haroon clarified that Kutchis were not acting on MQM’s behalf. Commenting on the ongoing conflict between the PPP and the MQM, he said that the former exchanged Sindhi caps with the latter at Nine Zero five years ago. But now the same party is victimising the MQM, he added hinting that both the actions are a volte-face on part of the PPP.
Haroon also drew on the Syrian issue, accusing the West, especially the United States, of orchestrating war and intervention without the UN’s approval in the seventh Muslim country since the start of this century.
MQM decry ‘victimisation’ of Muhajirs
Meanwhile, in a separate press conference on Saturday, the MQM leaders have termed the report claiming presence of a criminal outfit, Muhajir Republican Army, as an attempt to foment ethnic strife and hatred in Sindh.
The MQM’s district head Muhammad Sharif blamed the Pakistan Peoples Party’s Sindh government for once again thrusting the province in ethnic unrest.
“After a protracted struggle, the MQM Chief Altaf Hussain put an end to ethnic tensions in Sindh. But the PPP government is hell-bent to reanimate the situation,” said Sharif who was accompanied by the MPAs Sabir Qaimkhani, Dilawar Qureshi and Rashild Khilji.
The report was submitted by Attorney General Munir A Malik at the Supreme Court hearing in Karachi registry of the city’s law and order case. “The report gives the impression that Muhajirs, who are the children of founding fathers of Pakistan, are behind the killings, extortion, land grabbing and other crimes in Karachi.” At the same time, he added, the report misleads the court, absolves the criminals and covers up their crimes.
He alleged that the people in Karachi began experiencing a sudden rise in the target killings, extortion and other crimes when the PPP took the helm of government. Sharif said the flames of hatred, if not prevented at this stage, will also affect the ethnic harmony and peace in Hyderabad and other urban parts of Sindh.
MPA Sabir Qaimkhani said that though MQM remained a part of the PPP government, it was also on record how the party was treated while in alliance and how the killings of its workers continued unabated. He alleged that the provincial government has launched a crackdown against the MQM workers as their offices are being raided and the party supporters are being detained.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2013.
As the hostilities in Lyari refuse to die down, the political stakeholders remain divided as to which approach for law enforcement should be applied - while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement demands army operation in Karachi, including Lyari, others come up with different options.
The former Pakistani Ambassador to the United Nations, Hussain Haroon, who also leads the Kutchi community, said that he supports the way put forward by the interior minister Chaudhry Nisar. “We back targeted operations in Lyari as suggested by Nisar,” he said at a press conference on Saturday.
Thousands of people have been affected by the strife in Lyari, leading to the displacement of many and also resulting in dozens of deaths. Haroon said the peace has remained elusive in Lyari because the Pakistan Peoples Party wishes so.
“When I was in the UN, I warned President Zardari that I will leave this job and would return to Karachi to stand with my people. I asked him to stop his people from killing Kutchis.”
He maintained that infighting in Lyari is not between Baloch and Katchi people. The PPP-backed Amn Committee is behind the unrest, he added. Haroon clarified that Kutchis were not acting on MQM’s behalf. Commenting on the ongoing conflict between the PPP and the MQM, he said that the former exchanged Sindhi caps with the latter at Nine Zero five years ago. But now the same party is victimising the MQM, he added hinting that both the actions are a volte-face on part of the PPP.
Haroon also drew on the Syrian issue, accusing the West, especially the United States, of orchestrating war and intervention without the UN’s approval in the seventh Muslim country since the start of this century.
MQM decry ‘victimisation’ of Muhajirs
Meanwhile, in a separate press conference on Saturday, the MQM leaders have termed the report claiming presence of a criminal outfit, Muhajir Republican Army, as an attempt to foment ethnic strife and hatred in Sindh.
The MQM’s district head Muhammad Sharif blamed the Pakistan Peoples Party’s Sindh government for once again thrusting the province in ethnic unrest.
“After a protracted struggle, the MQM Chief Altaf Hussain put an end to ethnic tensions in Sindh. But the PPP government is hell-bent to reanimate the situation,” said Sharif who was accompanied by the MPAs Sabir Qaimkhani, Dilawar Qureshi and Rashild Khilji.
The report was submitted by Attorney General Munir A Malik at the Supreme Court hearing in Karachi registry of the city’s law and order case. “The report gives the impression that Muhajirs, who are the children of founding fathers of Pakistan, are behind the killings, extortion, land grabbing and other crimes in Karachi.” At the same time, he added, the report misleads the court, absolves the criminals and covers up their crimes.
He alleged that the people in Karachi began experiencing a sudden rise in the target killings, extortion and other crimes when the PPP took the helm of government. Sharif said the flames of hatred, if not prevented at this stage, will also affect the ethnic harmony and peace in Hyderabad and other urban parts of Sindh.
MPA Sabir Qaimkhani said that though MQM remained a part of the PPP government, it was also on record how the party was treated while in alliance and how the killings of its workers continued unabated. He alleged that the provincial government has launched a crackdown against the MQM workers as their offices are being raided and the party supporters are being detained.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2013.