Disillusioned, yet hopeful, people wanted answers or resignations from the government. PHOTO: EXPRESS
When people arrived outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Saturday, they came with the belief that their word mattered. They were there to demand justice for those who died in the cold storage room in the wake of the airport attack. Disillusioned, yet hopeful, these people wanted answers or resignations from the government.
The protest had been advertised largely through Facebook and twitter. The official page for the cause of Facebook showed that 3,600 people had pledged to attend the event. Hardly 100 made it to the venue. Contrary to the indefinite sit-in that the Facebook page had called for, the organiser Jibran Nasir claimed this was only a teaser. It was a warning for the authorities to tender their resignations or he would go to court against them.
Nevertheless, when Nasir stood before the crowd, his face red either with anger or because of the sweltering heat, he swore he wasn’t afraid to speak out against the chief minister, the armed forces, or anyone for that matter. “I live in Karachi,” he said with a shaky voice. “Tomorrow a robber will come and put a gun to my head for my cellphone which he will sell for Rs1,500. That is how cheap human lives have become in this city: Rs1,500.” He blamed the Sindh government, particularly the chief minister, for the deplorable law and order situation in the province.
The protesters held the managers of the cargo company primarily responsible for not taking action despite repeatedly being informed that the employees were missing. They also demanded the ouster of the director generals of the Airport Security Force (ASF), the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the provincial chief minister and the interior minister for negligence in duty.
Abrarul Hassan, the brother of the Pakistan International Airlines engineer, Fakhrul Hassan, who died in the attack spoke out in favour of the armed forces. He pledged his support for them, demanding them to launch a full-fledged operation against the militants. “Mr Prime Minister, how many more attacks will it take for you to realise that negotiations are not the answer?” he asked. Abrar went on to lament that the security at and around the airport was still minimal.
Nasir egged the participants on, lecturing them of their duty to speak out against the government’s incompetence. He certainly touched a nerve when he beckoned the MQM lawmakers to join his cause. “You shut the city down because one man was detained in London,” he reminded them. “Seven people died due to the government’s incompetence and you choose to remain quiet?” The audience cheered.
When the speakers had had their say, Nasir decided they should wait for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and MQM lawmakers to join the event. In the end, PTI’s Khurram Sher Zaman, Samar Ali Khan, Hafeezuddin Advocate and Dr Seema Zia showed up, followed by MQM’s Irtiza Farooqi. Before their arrival, Nasir asked the participants to sit on the ground and hold the placards high. Most were reluctant and Nasir had to coerce them by reminding them of the existence of washing powders with which they could wash their clothes later on.
There was also the feeble attempt to charge the crowd by shouting slogans. One of the organisers took the mic and screamed a phrase, expecting the crowd to rage back. What he received was shy looks and a few mutters.
It was apparent this wasn’t a politically-savvy crowd. They were simply concerned citizens - students, housewives, teachers, civil activists, labourers and professionals - all gathered at the venue because they felt strongly enough about the cause. They were afraid it could be their loved one next; desperate for change, romancing the idea of a revolution and the cool of the air-conditioning, until they dispersed at around 5:30pm.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 15th, 2014.
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