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The Killing Fields Of Karachi

January 16th, 2011 | 8 Comments

By D. Asghar

Electronic media is ablaze with recent senseless killings in the Port City. Nobody knows, who comes from nowhere, kills people indiscriminately and disappears.

These victims are people who are in down trodden areas of the city, barely trying to cope with the insanity called life. The sight of living conditions, that many face in S.I.T.E area, Orangi Town, Baldia Township and Sohrab Goth, would make us all appreciate our lives. The question that often remains unanswered is why them?

These are not wealthy people, they have barely enough to buy the meal for the day. Why all of this then and who benefits from these so called, “target killings.”. Our very own Interior Minister has been told by his “seventh sense”, that there is a “hidden hand”, a “third power”, behind all of this recent massacre.

Immediately after such bizarre incidents, joint investigation teams are formulated. The administration reassures the citizens that, all will be done to bring the culprits to justice, but it seems like it is bunch of hot air. No one knows, about the outcome of any such previous investigations and hoping any thing from new ones is utter stupidity.

The grand politicians blame each other’s parties for such lawlessness. Some blame it on “drug mafia” and “land mafia.” All these statements seem to be quite ludicrous. If such incidents were occurring in affluent neighbourhoods, then such assertions would be valid. What would drug and land mafia gain from people who have nothing to spare. The land where they are barely covering their head in the most deplorable conditions, is not even theirs. Something defies intelligence here.

Some blame the local gangs for spreading the mayhem. Typically gangs in the slums have their turf wars. But in most cases those are targeted towards an individual. Not a spree that we witness in such often incidents, which are repeated quite often.

The law enforcement agencies, consider those areas as “off limits”, and stay away from those war zones for the obvious reasons. It is often noted, that a rather calm and content Karachi can turn into a mini hell in no time.

The city faces way too many problems as its population is soaring and resources are running very thin. Yet no one can pin point, who is behind, these very targeted, “target killings.” Of course one can always blame RAW and Mossad. Because, after all a “Muslim cannot kill another Muslim.” Go figure.

Written by dasghar

D. Asghar is a Pakistani American. A Mortgage Banker by profession who loves to write as well. He blogs frequently at popular South Asian websites. A repository of some of his scribbles is http://dasghar.blogspot.com/. He can be reached at dasghar@aol.com.

Filed under: Uncategorized · Tags: conditions, land, Muslim, people

8 Responses to "The Killing Fields Of Karachi"

Rashid Aurakzai says:

January 16, 2011 at 4:41 pm

Thank You Dr. Asghar for voicing Pakthoons. We have lost hope in civil scoiety, liberals and intellectuals. It seems nobody care for Pakhtoon being maimed, killed, tortured, experimented with and starved. Dozens dies and they make now headlines.

Reporter Wali Baber’s murder is being linked with drug mafias by Geo its without telling the crowd that nothing in his reports alludes to the much cried ‘drug mafia’, an understood term for Pakhtoons. Infact his reports helped prove MQM allegations against Pakhtoons wrong. Drug Mafias is not limited to just one ethnicity. It includes even personells from law enforcing agencies and we all have at least seen in movies how they work. Baber’s only crime was giving coverage to his voiceless community being massacred and maligned at the same time by another kind of mafia which is more lethal than any underworld or jihadist organisation in the world. Let’s not shy away how MQM history has been, what lowness they can fall to and how cleverly they play to keep the city under terror and control.

Innocent Pakhtoon is being tortured and shot by Army on the pretext of suspected association with Talibans, and butchered by state strategic assets by labelling him US agent. He cannot flee even as a refugee in Sindh and Punjab. He is scared not to enter Karachi. He is being used as a Guinea Pig in Pak’ Laboratory and Great Games. His love for Pakistan is doubted. He is the sacrificial goat for Pakistan and not even one respect his love for the country. Had this happened to any other ethnicity, they would long have chanted secession from Islamabad.

Without denying or alleging criminal outfits in ANP, you have to agree with me that the city politics have been criminalized and weaponized by MQM itself. They have left no ethnicity, organisation, official or individual un-tormented, that can pose potential threat to their interests. Their ethnic wars with Sindhis, Punjabis and Balochis are no myths.

Last year poor Nisar Baloch from Shehri was gunned down for pursuing cases of encroachment of public lands by MQM. Nisar nominated the articulate Mustafa Kamal, in case he was killed. Alas, Baloch had been in a civilized world and more than 1100 not died this year. Mr. Cowasjee will tell you the truth. All those living in Karachi knows the true face of MQM but are scared to their bones for telling the truth. They didn’t spared philanthropist Hakee Saeed for the sake of small commercial plot. Have we fogotten May 12 or was it a bad dream. October the same year MQM Bhai Loag gathered in city courts like that in gangster movies and judges had to flee.

Their pro-writers admit this off the record. They admit their cowardice and dearness of life, not of their own but of their families. ‘Karachi main rehna bhi tau hai.’ You cannot escape MQM in even London.

Further to the agony of mind is some ‘intellectuals” describing it as ‘liberal and secular’. Reason strangulate and Mind bury itself in shame at such ridiculous sounds. A libertarian mind, in its least can confess his/her helplessness but cant resort to falsehood to convince the ego. There is no doubt that this menace is more dangerous than Al Qaeda or Talibans and its opposition can cost one all one has in this world.

But keeping silence for the sake of safety, we are distancing those that can stand beside us and defeat the demon.

Another distraction for debate is MQM’s allegation of Taliban’s presence in Karachi. If they are there than its not without the consent of security agencies for whom they work. And why kill those that have fled Taliban atrocities in their own Land? And why does MQM oppose Army Operation if it believes there are any.

Read Cyril Almeida, joint investigation team by security agencies held their ‘Londas’ responsible.’ Baber was killed not only infront of Police Station but also infront of their Minister’s Home from where all these target killings are planned.” reported another Geo Reporter to Kamran Khan.

Why do we try to fool ourselves. It’s about the city and its control. They are resisting re-demarcation of election constituency and installation of bio-metric system for voting. Their Post 1988 Gerrymandering is one secret to their much prided mandate along with ‘THAPPAs’ of ballotting.

All I have to say readers and writers on this blog is try not cherry pick. Ethnic bigotry is as deleterious as any other including religious. It is time we speak. Once they have me, they are coming for you. We can over come them, the Talibans, the media and the Army provided we decide to speak the truth first. Let’s stop defending yours and mine ‘child’ and name the culprit.

We have to start somewhere.
~C~ says:

January 16, 2011 at 7:50 pm

@ D. Asghar
a bold piece of writing…congratulations!!!

”Nobody knows, who comes from nowhere, kills people indiscriminately and disappears.”

this is not true , you know everything and you have said it between the lines. Recently Zulfiqar Mirza also declared it, leaving nothing for anyone to doubt!! Bhai hamein yahaan rehna bhi toe hay!!:)
Sana Saleem says:

January 16, 2011 at 9:27 pm

This ‘Target Killing’ would have been a great problem if nobody knew who are the killers BUT the problem is that every body knows the truth and Despite all that no action is being taken. JUST shaken to know that the lives of Karachites are so priceless ! ! !

I want shed down tears here…… This is not the Pakistan that our Quaid e Azam struggled for. These bloody killers are doomed to death and that Day is not too far !
D. Asghar says:

January 16, 2011 at 10:51 pm

Dear Friends,

Thank u for your comments. Not trying to minimise the gruesome murder that took place in the capital recently.

But Karachi seems to be witnessing such episodes repeatedly. Yes motive behind these insane killings may be different, but in my dictionary, a murder is still a murder. Whether it is of an elite Governer or a daily wage earner. A family is still being shattered…. May GOD give us some sense of shame..
Humanity says:

January 17, 2011 at 12:35 am

Thanks, Asghar Bhai, for writing about this travesty. There is an urgent need to humanize the victims caught in the middle of an ugly power struggle.

@Rashid Aurakzai “All I have to say readers and writers on this blog is try not cherry pick. Ethnic bigotry is as deleterious as any other including religious. It is time we speak. Once they have me, they are coming for you. We can over come them, the Talibans, the media and the Army provided we decide to speak the truth first. Let’s stop defending yours and mine ‘child’ and name the culprit.

We have to start somewhere.”

My heart felt sympathies for the families of the helpless victims of this control game. I feel your anguish for your own community and for all Pakistanis at large. May Allah be with the innocent people and may He guide us to a path of salvation. Ameen.

Yes we have to start somewhere. Let start by reasserting our humanity. Let us all step down from the Godly mantle and become humans. Let us stop judging others so that we are not judged. Let us humble ourselves as very soon it will be us in the cross wires.

I am neither an expert nor a scholar. I have nothing in my power to stop the sense less bloodshed. I only have faith in the magical power of kindness, compassion, tolerance, and forgiveness. Thanks to Allah for imbibing some of His beautiful attributes in humans. The warmth of humanly love has the potency to melt the hardest hearts and enlighten the the darkest minds.

I urge to those who read these words to make a conscious effort to stay positive. Let us start a campaign of doing small acts of kindness towards ourselves and others. We are all worthy of reclaiming human dignity. Let us win the hearts and minds of our people by reassuring them that they are all worthy and they deserve to be treated with respect as honorable humans. Let us humanize the marginalized and the brain washed conservatives. They have the potential and the capability to take it from there, once their humanity is recharged. Thank you.
Feroz Khan says:

January 17, 2011 at 12:43 am

@ D. Asghar (January 16, 2011 at 10:51 pm)

Tolerance and peace will come to Karachi, but there are still many tears to be shed.

Murder is sad testimony to the levels of animalism that Karachi has decended into, but a more horrible tragedy is the sheer wastage of the generations that have been ruined by this orgy of bloodlust, which gnaws upon Karachi.

A greater sin, still, is the complicity of all those who should have known better, but agreed to a view that has brought them to this sorry state of misery.

ciao
~C~ says:

January 17, 2011 at 1:31 am

Those who gloat ‘Karachi belongs to them’ do not want to see others in Karachi, simple enough to get at the reason why killing doesn’t stop in Karachi! Unfortunately, we have failed to become a ‘Nation’ and I think until the lust for monopolizing power by certain ethnic majorities in some areas persists this killing will go on and on! the only alternative to break the monopoly of numeral majority in any area is to create more and smaller constituencies and provinces everywhere….and where a minority
is averse to other Pakistanis living in their part of Pakistan then Army Cantonments be build there and poor people from other provinces be moved there under a mass migration program. Unless and until such or other corrective methods are sought for Pakistan will never never become a nation!!
Humanity says:

January 17, 2011 at 2:09 am

~C~
Your solution of involuntary mass migration makes no sense. Where do you propose to resettle the Christians, the Shias and so on?

A nation is not formed by resettling people. A nation is formed by making a vision for a progressive future, by creating institutions that promote progress, and through a process of governance that is forward looking and fair. A nation is created by celebrating the similarities and showing tolerance towards differences. A nation is created and strengthened by the civility of the values of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.

A nation is created by humans and not by judgmental godly purists who thrive on division and differences.