Rabita Committee members said that MQM would support all legal and constitutional steps taken for permanent peace in the city.
In a statement released on Wednesday evening, MQM said that it looked forward to an urgent resolution of all crises in the metropolis. They stated that targeted operation against terrorists and extortionists should be carried out with complete impartiality and transparency.
The Rabita Committee further expounded that the practical measures adopted by federal, provincial and law enforcement agencies will reveal whether or not the authorities are sincere in restoration law and order.
However, the statement also added that "the steps taken by the government will tell whether they are taken for the elimination of terrorists and extortionists who are playing with the lives of businessmen, industrialists and innocent citizens or their plan is something else."
COMMENTS (41)
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@Xnain:
yes senatorship is the highest level among legislators , after his experience as a provincial minister , he was given mayorship , now promoted to senate , dont you understand MQM is not a family party , it works according to rules and also awards roles and positions keeping abilityand experience When one is at senate it over looks at the legislation done in an acadamic way . therefore Mustafa with his experience both in pakistan and also outside pakistan , is a good choice okay , He was picked up among few very promising young politicians in the world by CNN
I feel satisfied in supporting MQM among all other political party because for one best reason that it is not family run limted company., like PPP , ANP ,JUI PMLn , athough PTI and JI are not of the same standered of nepotism , but in KPK CM and speaker are doing what these parties are and JI the stark nepotism late Qazi saheb could select no one but his own daughter samia raheel qazi for women seat although he gladly submitted to no women vote.Here i also wish to mention i was so fond of Mehmood achakzai , but after 2013 election he had four of his family members got into power position in balochistan , great disappointment. Now coming to the karachi matter , i never meant MQM police commissioner or Mayor , i mean we have to have a system of administration and controll under directly elected mayor like in london , like in newyork , like in paris like in tehran like in istanbul. You see is this the method where citizens feel connected to the mayor once again directly elected mayor not MQM mayor i hope i am clear . Now it is for people to decide who they elect. Okay once we have directly elected mayor with control over Met. police , health education transport revenue connected to civic expenditures.This is the way world has arrived to , to run mega cities with huge populations and multi ethnic in texture, the longer the people in control realise the downward slide will continue. I will be happy with who so ever the true blood karachiites elect , i mean all those across ethnic lines who do not have any other permanent address in pakistan except karachi my homeland . All those who believe in democracy and honesty and rule of law cannot deny the benefit of directly elected mayor,
@Aysha M: True Karachiwala @Luciferous: After crass comments by this contributor, I would not dignify any of this individual’s comments with a response.
A better decision than mine !
True Karachiwala @Luciferous: After crass comments by this contributor, I would not dignify any of this individual's comments with a response.
@ashar: . . . rather a smart and brilliant Civil Servant from Karachi Interesting, to choose a civil servant over the likes of Mustafa Kamal who are elected representatives and not appointed tenured individuals, indicative of a pre-partition mindset. No modern democracy runs like this. You once roped me into a debate about MQM when the news item was about Asiaia Bibi, this kind of prejudice cannot be reasoned. All we are doing is speaking our mind here, which does not require certification. I for one play ball and never people, so theoretically or practically . . . makes no difference At the same time, nothing like a conversation packed with logic and reason. thanks
@rafi: Absolutely, all cases be addressed. Moving back into time from 2013 backwards . . .
@True Karachiwala: and for the last three decades this city is burning is init true??????
@Aysha M: kidnapping for ransom and bhatta should be addressed for the last twenty five years
@mrs ahmed: @Aysha M:
Theoretically both of you are too good. While practically know nothing about MQM, I believe. You both seems like the spokesperson of KESC who is not an electrical engineer of operations department but a person hired from the market to respond on behalf based on his skills and expertise. Precisely they speak what they are fed.
MQM is demanding the mayor and now police commissioner, they did have them in the past what happened then. Nothing substantial done for Karachi. No reforms in any department under MQM you can prove. History is so pathetic that even if the demand is met, people would not like to have a Police Commissioner or Mayer nominated by MQM, rather a smart and brilliant Civil Servant from Karachi would be a much better choice for Karachi problems.
Well, people know that. And for the rest, you are good debaters, but this is only a pastime.
@Luciferous:
Well ! Luciferous guided me to realize that there is "someone" who has such "reverence" for our thoughts.
Our act of refusing to silently see the injustice and bias taking over the justice and equality is making "others" say in fidgets words that take our spirits to new heights.
"the ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people" (Martin Luther King Jr.)
Do not know the complexion, remember this "he has a right to criticize who has a heart to help others" (Abraham Lincoln)
Showing our concern over prevalent situation and contributing with our legendary minds is making you restless, then it's no wonder that a struggle spread over 3 decades by MQM must be a lamp that is making luciferous sun fade away.
You "concern" is our little success, as "in time we hate that which we often fear" (William Shakespeare, really)
You have to live with it!
@Napier Mole: "reality sinks in fully into the heart and souls of those who are presently mandated to represent Karachi ", it is confusing , if u have doubts that , heart and soul of mendated people do not know the reality of karachi , actually they know the realty by sweat tears and blood. Wasn`t mustaf era showed that mendated people believe in dedicated mayoral govt in karachi. If inssafians who are karachiite also must stand together with mendated people and ask for directly elected mayor with same pwoers that mega cities confer on thier mayors. Not for once i have seen any PTI person ever spoke about local body electionin karachi , and huge injustice in the name of qouta system inflicted on urban sindh . The people who have been mandated since last 30 years have been treated with insult , disrespect , exclusion(misaqe jamoohrait) jeered upon , false allegation , innocent lives laid down fr the cause rights of karachi . It is indeed very disappointing that true blood karachiite do not know this
@Aysha M: Just wait for a week or so as the operation reaches the paradigm of political affiliations. Who will be moaning, we all know.
@ Mrs Ahmed
Regrets that I missed you out above when mentioning the commentators who have talked about the need for a metropolitan government in Karachi. You indeed have been a vocal exponent of this cause. Lets hope that this reality sinks in fully into the heart and souls of those who are presently mandated to represent Karachi as well as any other political parties, pressure groups or civil society instituitions who have Karachi's interests at their heart. This, as I always say, is the only issue of essence when it comes to Karachi.
@Arzoo: @True Karachiwala: @Aysha M: @mrs ahmed:
Ah...Legends in their own minds....giants amongst the midgets, seeking bubble reputation.(Sorry Bill Shakespeare.) What a tragedy you are late by about a century or so otherwise you would have been guiding lights for Afrikaans. I don't know your complexion but your hearts are whiter than milk indeed! Oh by the way if one were to apply your "logic of purity" then Liaquat Ali Khan had no business being Prime Minister of Pakistan and our dear "bhai" sahab has no business being in London! PS: I had tried to address all the "concerns" voiced by you guys, especially Ms. M and Mrs. Ahmed, but ET in it's infinite wisdom (or fear) found them unfit to see the light of the day May be you can wield some influence on ET moderators and they may relent!
@Napier Mole: you forgot me , actually , i have been drooling over london mayoral governance for long. On the pages of ET have been writing many many times , this is the only way out . over here both parties contest london mayor election similar fervor as general election. This is how it happenes in other mega cities , newyork , tehran , paris , ......... well dont we aspire democracy because west adopted it nearly 2 centuries before pruned it over the time and is not best available system for governernig in the whole world. Now similarly mega cities also are goverened and administered most successfully by high power mayor directly elected, when we have directly elected mayor each citizen feels connected, over here in the UK there london assembly , the councillors of various areas convenen under directly elected mayor and city is administered. The broblem of karachi lies that those who are voted outside karachi , inrural sindh , they get elected ,leave their poor constituents and start ruling poor karachiites as a colony. We should have a movement for directly elected mayor today , now , with power over police under local commissioner and all policing by locally born men and women , again across all ethnicities , there should be no ethnic element in police , all recruitment on merit and merit alone , karachi is rich in talent education dedication , withing months we can have say 400000 strong police force selected from able men and women from karachi, across all ethnicities who no other permanent address except , karachi my home land. If the people in islamabad realise it soon the better , that karachi needs self administration like all mega cities of the world.
@Napier Mole:
Agreed in toto. Spread this idea as much as possible.
@Arzoo: Thank you for your comments. I would have preferred MQM working toward restoring Karachi to pre-Zia era. They were nearly there with KAMAL administration and I think that is when they started to spread out to other parts of the country in the hope that they would contribute in facilitating empowerment of lower and lower middle class people. I think they have been successful in many aspects, beside electoral success. With MQM providing a model for people with no credentials of being a waderra, jagirda or an industrialist to make it to the parliament, other political party had ordinary folk joining them who also became successful in getting party tickets. After 30 years of MQM, today we see political parties offering tickets to both land barons, business magnates and also middle class people, which is definitely a success. MQM provided a model of being accessible to their people, so we now see Shahbaz Sharif saying Eid namaz with flood victims. These are the sights and sounds which were not seen in the 90s. So MQM has made an impact on Pakistani politics in general, which is good. At the same time what they have not been able to achieve certain things for Karachi and impact civic life of the city, for which they need to devote more effort and energy.
@ Arzoo
You have put it perfectly. MQM's biggest mistake was to move out from its core urban Sindh base and its focus on urban issues and try to get a foothold in national politics which was both premature and illogical.
The recent stirrings to move towards the core issues is welcome and nothing more than the demand for a fully fledged metropolitan government as you and Aysha M put it up above.
If ever Karachi needed a million man march, it would be this issue and nothing else. And before this issue gets any ethnic overtones let it be said that such a set up is for the benefit of all permanent residents of Karachi to whichever color, race, ethnicity or sect they belong to. A prosperous and well run Karachi would be a source of financial and political strength for both the province and the country. On the other hand, any party opposing such a status for Karachi, except on any logical or rational grounds (which appear impossible) would expose its anti Karachi and hence biased character.
Time for MQM to wake up fully and take charge of this issue.
@ashar: If their struggle fell short of fruition that doesnt mean we in the city cannot get togther and fight for our rights
@ashar: well they achieved beyond the power and resources extended to them , i will write a bit about Dr.Adib Rizvi over here , he did not allow his two doctor children to join SIUT although which he raised by his own sweat and blood for the fear of nepotism and not hindering natural talent of his his children not flourishing and other best thing that his will says for the next 50 years no family memeber can join SIUT, even if capable and qualified. The guidline is that merit alone should be policy of running any institution and route to success lies in total merit. I think you will agree that MQM , the majority of MQM believes in merit. If MQM was given any control first thing would have been removal of qouta system in jobs and admissions. This is the real cause of such abyssmal detoriation of our province. All karachiites should form a movement across all parties for high powered directly elected mayor with police in the form METROPOLITAN police under his or her control , health ,education , transport and rest of civic areas , and all revenues lying under civic expenditure. Well this is the way all mega cities all around the world are run , there should be no ethnic element in this all those people who live here earn in karachi and spend their earnings are true karachiite and do not have any other home town permanent address , will agree to me , we need self adminstration by a true blood karachiite , i dont mean ethnicity i mean the one who is karachi born . We dont want Zulfiqar cheema from punjab he doesnt know karachi , our police chief and all personal under him should be true karachiite , once again i say not on ethnic lines. and all police be recruited on merit. Sorry no cheema we need our own Police Commisioner answereable to our own mayor
@Aysha M:
All the demands are genuine, however the question arises why they were not achieved or acquired when MQM was in the Government? Who were stopping you in the Musharaf period?
@Xnain: sidelined?seriously? He is currently a senator
@Xnain: They want to support any effort for peace so they have to support it this step
@Aysha M: GET UP KARACHI
My "yeah" to these demands.
@Arzoo: I support your views. I firmly believe in Ayesha M amd mrs.ahmed's dedication for the cuase of urban sindh and reuqest them to write more often on points mentioned by you.
GET UP KARACHI and demand; • indigenous policing • transportation & utilities under city government • documentation of economic residents in Karachi who have permanent home addresses outside Karachi • documentation of money sent out of Karachi by these economic residents to other parts of the country
Unless Karachiites do not get together and transcend party lines, there can be no sustainable peace in the city. Rural representatives will turn us into their harees and chained labour.
@Aysha M: So you're agreeing that they are supporting it because they "have to" not because they "want to".
@mrs ahmed: Mustafa Era is now almost 5-6 year behind us. How MQM sidelined Mustafa Kamal for his deeds, is also a history of its own.
@Mohammad: "Well, I seriously doubt now about this operation.. it is already announced and the terrorists or criminals are already gone under ground, or probably in fata or Afghanistan."
And don't forget London, South Africa, Canada and USA!
@mrs ahmed & Ayesha M: Your conclusions are on the point but so is your failure to recognize that bulk of Karachi's problems are attributable to MQM's failure to dedicate itself to solving Karachi's problems exclusively and its' grand delusion to achieve foothold in the national politics, such as in Punjab. People who understand politics know that it will never happen. MQM is an ethno-centric party rooted in Karachi and Hyderabad and it should recognize this reality. Why partner with PPP for so many years when PPP has the pressure from rural Sindh and Nationalist parties to adopt policies that run counter to the interests of Karachi?? Karachi's and MQM's interest is not in achieving Federal ministerial posts but in achieving local self-governance of Karachi's residents, which includes people from KPK, Punjab, Balochistan, and rural Sindh who have adopted Karachi as their hometown. As you have so succinctly stated, Karachi's problems will not go away until Karachi has its' own Mayor, City Council, and police force, chosen on the basis of merit and qualifications, and dedicated to Karachi without regard to its' residents ethnicity, language, and religious affiliation.
MQM has no choice but to support any peace restoring initiative, because they stand to lose the most if the law and order situation doesnt improve.
@ali hassan: Yes get them to face all the cases in the court rooms and not on media and before that is done, kidnapping for ransom and bhatta should be addressed by LEAs
@ Kamal Jabbar - agree with everything you said. Lets get the MQM to face their cases first before pretending to show their sincerity.
@imran bhatt: yah true , could not even get local body election , even after successful Mustafa era , MQM should start movement for directly elected mayor with strong powers police which Met police comprised of locally born men and women selected purely on merit , with control over health , transport and education apart from other civic issues also local revenue collection to meet expenses. Isnt all mega cities around the world are administered by directly elected mayors , we have it in london , newyork , paris , tehran istanbul .....................................
MQM is at the moment backing "positive steps" on Karachi, but let me tell to the readers of these columns that MQM would be the first political party which will raise hue and cry when Rangers will strart arresting MQM militants along with the militants of other political and religious parties.
There is no doubt in it that MQM has the mandate in Karachi, but no one will also deny the facts that after MQM has surfaced in 1985, once upon a time the city of lights "Karachi" has now become city of darkness.
The damage done by MQM to the business of Karachi will remain unforgottenable for a very long time to come.
I was born and raised in Karachi and I have seen a very good time prior to 1985 when there was no MQM in Karachi and it was completely a peaceful city.
MQM should cooperate with the government and hand over the list of its militants to the Government so that MQM should be able to win the hearts and minds of the silent and peaceful majority of Karachi.
Will the Rabita committee show their 'sincerity to justice' by first returning to Pakistan and face all the cases that are pending against them and their leader in the courts? Now THAT would be a positive step.
The party which owns 85% of Karachi's mandate should be more involved with the operation, and if they are not involved neither should PPP CM Sindh. I thought the whole point of this was to run a non-politicized non-biased operation, how is that possible when PPP's CM Sindh is heading the committee? Won't they give coverage to PPP affilated criminals (Uzair Baloch, etc), and militant wings (PAC, etc.)? How will a un-biased operation be held in Lyari with PPP heading it? Questions Karachiites should be asking.
ET PLEASE PRINT THIS. I ONLY ASK SENSIBLE QUESTIONS.
Well, I seriously doubt now about this operation.. it is already announced and the terrorists or criminals are already gone under ground, or probably in fata or Afghanistan.
Action should have been sudden, powerful and ruthless...
What else they can do except face the eventuality.