Forced out of Lyari

Wherever these residents have been forced to relocate to, law enforcers should ensure they have secure living spaces.

The Christian community of Lyari has been forced out of the volatile neighbourhood in Karachi, making the area lose its diversity and compelling the residents to vacate their homes of nearly a century. The Christians, and some Hindus, in Lyari were confined to Slaughter House, a complex of residential units allocated for the sanitary workers of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation since 1916. This sanctuary was home to the minorities in Lyari and acted as a buffer against the Lyari gang wars and the unpredictable violence. These people were not new to the unrest in Lyari but the fact that they were never bothered in their complex was a signal for them to stay put. The arrangement was, however, coming to an end. As the gangs became more powerful and the minorities failed to match their strength, they were increasingly under pressure to join the ranks of the gangs, or pay enough extortion to continue to live in their homes. For people who could barely afford to pay the Rs450 rent to the municipal corporation, this was not an easy choice. It was, however, after the recent killings of a few Christian men that the entire community decided to leave.

The law-enforcement agencies must not brush aside this migration and should formulate a strategy to ensure the ongoing operation does not ignore the minorities in this city. Wherever these residents have been forced to relocate to, the police and Rangers should ensure they have secure living spaces. They should also intensify the operation in Lyari to create, once again, an environment in which these residents can move back to. Another unfortunate consequence of this out-migration from Slaughter House is the fact that a historical building has been left at the mercy of the gangsters. A building that dates further back than the country itself is a precious asset for the government and should be preserved. If we don’t act quickly, the city will lose all its connections with the past.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2013.

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