‘All we want is peace’: Lyari residents hold govt responsible for bloodshed

At least 19 civilians were killed in attacks on Wednesday.

KARACHI:

Lyari residents are holding the provincial and federal governments responsible for the Jhat Pat Market killings and the never-ending violence in the area.

They claimed that gangsters are being patronised by the government and law enforcement agencies. Hundreds of residents staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club on Thursday, without their public representatives, who they also blamed for Wednesday’s carnage that claimed the lives of at least 19 ‘innocent’ people.



The residents, carrying banners and placards, raised slogans for peace and justice, stressing that not everyone in Lyari was affiliated with the gangs. “Where is the chief minister? Where is the Governor? Is there anyone to hear our cries? Isn’t Lyari a part of Karachi too?” demanded one of the protesters.

The majority of participants were young, and of the belief that their future was being destroyed due to the constant violence. “It is the responsibility of the government to provide security to citizens. Our leaders are silent and have not even joined us today,” said an aged woman, Saeeda Baloch, a resident of Kalakot. “We supported the Pakistan Peoples Party and they gave us the dead bodies of our sons and daughters in return.”

Saeeda claimed that the gangsters had ordered the residents of Lyari to leave their houses. “Where should we go?”

Another elderly woman claimed that everyone knew who was behind the unrest, alleging that the government supported the criminals who held common people hostage. “Our sons are not born to be killed so mercilessly.”

Another protester appealed to Malik Riaz Hussain to allot plots for the residents of Lyari so they could escape the violence. The participants had brought dozens of keys of houses and shops and informed the media that several families had left the area while others were desperately looking for an escape.

“The government, police, Rangers and media know who is behind the gang war,” screamed a young girl. “All we ask for is peace and justice.” She burst into tears, saying she couldn’t even attend school while her father and brothers risked their lives every day.

“Twenty innocent people lost their lives but not a single assailant has been apprehended yet. What kinds of measures have been taken in the last 24 hours?” asked one the participants, Abdul Wahid.

Innocence lost

Hira and Asifa, along with their cousin, Maryam, were shopping when a hand grenade hit them, killing all three on the spot. “One of the sisters was selecting a pair of sandals while the other was trying out bangles,” their uncle, Abdul Qadir, who joined the protest, told The Express Tribune. “They had been ecstatic at the prospect of their sister’s wedding next week,” he recalled.

Qadir said that the girls’ father, Abdul Wahid, was a diehard supporter of the PPP. “Asifa’s name is an example of his attachment with the party. The difference between the age of Benazir Bhutto’s daughter and my brother’s daughter is only a few months.”

Qadir said that the children of Lyari had lost their senses due to the continuous violence in the area. “What was the crime of six-year-old Maryam? She was so cute. We cannot ever forget her innocent smile,” he wept.

An organiser who had circulated text messages about the protest said that the majority of participants had never attended such protests. “We are against criminals and do not support any group,” he claimed, without sharing his name. “The educated and socially-active youngsters want peace in Lyari.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2014.