Pakhtuns in Karachi facing ethnic cleansing
The clock is ticking in Karachi for the rulers to heed to the warning shots and go beyond the situational rhetorics.
At least 30 people have lost their lives in targeted killings in Karachi who were largely from Pakhtun community . This time again MQM is being blamed for ethnic killings.
If the past is any stander to go by, MQM has a history of involvement in killing of dissidents and other ethnic groups particularly Pakhtuns. The organisation was accused in the political violence of 1990 and and incidents of May 12 and April 9, 2008 in Karachi. In mid 1980s, the organisation was associated with extortion, gun smuggling and South African crime networks.
MQM has a record of bullying media and intimidation of journalists. A specter that haunts the organisation even today. In one of the most flagrant cases, in 1990 MQM leader Altaf Hussain publicly threatened the editor of the monthly NEWSLINE magazine after he published an article on the MQM's use of torture against dissident members. The following year, a prominent journalist, Zafar Abbas, was severely beaten in Karachi in an attack that was widely blamed on MQM leaders angered over articles by Abbas describing the party's factions.
The same year, MQM activists assaulted scores of vendors selling DAWN, Pakistan's largest English-language newspaper, and other periodicals owned by Herald Publications.The MQM has also frequently called strikes in Karachi and other cities in Sindh province and used killings and other violence to keep shops closed and people off the streets. During strikes, MQM activists have ransacked businesses that remained open and attacked motorists and pedestrians who ventured outside.
From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was targeted by the Pakistan Army. Torture cells alleged to have been maintained by MQM, were discovered in 1992. These cells were used to torture the abducted members of MQM-Haqiqi and other political rivals.
It was during Operation Cleanup when MQM was blamed of being anti Pakistan and a separatist movement for planning of Jinnahpur. Though, later the few senior army officers at the time said that Jinnahpur was "nothing but a drama" against MQM for the military operation and there was no map of Jinnahpur.
However, the former Director General Rangers Safdar Ali Khan and corpse commander Karachi General Nasir Akhtar at the time, still argue that Jinnahpur maps were indeed recovered but such reports were refuted under the pressure of MQM’s lobbying in the army and civilian political leadership
The gruesome incident occurred on May 12 in which 42 people were killed. This carnage was alleged to have been planned again by MQM which acted as a local bully for the then dictator General Pervez Musharaf. He dismissed Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Iftikhar Chaudhry on allegations of misconduct and misuse of authority. This started the lawyers' movement throughout Pakistan and on May 12 Karachi’s visit of suspended chief justice was part of these countrywide protests. The MQM called its supporters out on streets to defend that decision of president and prevent chief justice from leaving Karachi airport.
This time new to its policy of “Gherao our Jallao” was its its failed attempt to pitch Hazarawals against Pakhtuns by blaming the killings of Pakhtuns on Hazarawals. But the Hazarawal community leaders moved in quickly and foiled MQM’s conspiratorial posturing.
It is not an academic discussion now that MQM’s targeting of Pakhtuns is pre-planned. This policy is tantamount to ethnic cleansing of Pakhtuns.The 1993 United Nations Commission defined ethnic cleansing as : "the planned deliberate removal from a specific territory, persons of a particular ethnic group, by force or intimidation, in order to render that area ethnically homogeneous." (UN report in 1993).
Why MQM is targeting Pakhtuns, because Pakhtuns living in Karachi have progressed economically. They have seen upwards mobility. For being entrepreneurial community, Pakhtuns have come a long way from their menial economic activities. Now they have become well educated and are looking for jobs. They hold a hand over Pakistan’s transport. The new generation of Pakhtuns who have gone through different educational institutions in Karachi, do not want to remain watchmen, or labourers or Chai Walas.Thus the new generation is in direct competition with Urdu speaking residents which MQM can not put up with. Hence MQM wants Pakhtuns to leave Karachi for good.
Secondly, property prices in Pakhun dominated areas have gone up over the years. This is why MQM’s city government looses no chance to demolish Pakhtuns’ properties and sell them in gold prices under the garb of lack of proper property documentation.
Thirdly, MQM’s Talibanisatan charges, is actually a ruse to deprive Pakhtuns of their right to make a living in Karachi, and as an excuse to stop their vertical mobility. There is no evidence that Taliban have taken any part of the city. Individual Taliban are arrested from Punjab and other cities of the country as well. It does not mean that nearly 07 million Pakhtuns ( source: "Front Line World"-Focus- a report produced in association with the New York Times) are Taliban.
For many the politics of MQM is bordering neo-political fascism. Contrast between the terrorism of Taliban and that of MQM against Pakhtun community is not far fetched.
One wonders why parties like PPP, PML-N, and other political forces are still pandering to MQM’s xenophobic and racist politics by design or by default, casting doubt on their commitment to democracy and the right of minorities in the country.
But they have a compelling reason to act now: first is to save Karachi from returning to a Beirut style civil war of 1980s, second is to ensure Karachi continues to play a role as Pakistan’s economic hub.
In order to achieve these two gaols, MQM’s strangle hold over Karachi has to be broken and this is the way forward:
(A) Proportional representation should be adopted so that the electoral system is not biased against smaller political parties. It is common that in “first past the post system” major parties get the main advantage despite getting overall minority share of the total vote polled. PR will increase the share of smaller parties who came second or third in the polls.
(B) Redistricting of existing constituencies in Karachi be done on the basis of “ethnic” rather than “linguistic” demographics, as Pakhtuns and other ethnic groups who now speak Urdu- because of having lost fluency in their first languages- are now wrongly codified as Urdu speaking population. The current census only offers the choice of first language spoken at home and does not have the choice of ethnicity.
Ethnic demographic will give more share to Pakhtuns, Punjabis and other ethnic groups in the federal and provincial legislative assemblies and thus will serve as check on the MQM.
(C) Re-demarcation of Pakhtun and Urdu speaking areas will also ensure change in the Karachi’s local government breaking the political monopoly of the MQM over the city which is the long standing desire of PPP, ANP, Sindhi Nationalist, JI, TIP, and PML-N).
(D) Until the redistricting of the city, on the basis of above method, district government should be appointed by the central government rather than elected as it will only ensure MQM pre-dominance in every walk of life at the exclusion of of other ethnic communities.
(E) Pakhtun- dominated areas in Karachi should be redistricted in a manner that could ensure Pakhun representation. (The present state of affairs of Karachi where nearly 7 million Pakhtuns do not have a adequate representation in Pakistan's legislative assemblies, is preposterous).
(F) The district government of Karachi should not be handed over the control of police until fair redistricting of the constituencies happen.
(G) A a review commission appointed by the Parliament, should determine the share of other ethnic groups in Karachi as well including removal of difficulties in getting domicile certificates and national identity cards in the city.
However, if the issue of MQM’s ethnic cleansing against Pakhtuns is not checked, the organisation would come after Punjabis, Sindhis, Balochs and other communities as they think Karachi is their turf. But Pakhtuns and other communities including Urdu speaking residents have equal rights to leave in Karachi and in peace. The clock is ticking in Karachi for the rulers to heed to the warning shots and go beyond the situational rhetorics. janassakzai200@gmail.com
By Jan Assakzai ( The Frontier Post May 25, 2010)
At least 30 people have lost their lives in targeted killings in Karachi who were largely from Pakhtun community . This time again MQM is being blamed for ethnic killings.
If the past is any stander to go by, MQM has a history of involvement in killing of dissidents and other ethnic groups particularly Pakhtuns. The organisation was accused in the political violence of 1990 and and incidents of May 12 and April 9, 2008 in Karachi. In mid 1980s, the organisation was associated with extortion, gun smuggling and South African crime networks.
MQM has a record of bullying media and intimidation of journalists. A specter that haunts the organisation even today. In one of the most flagrant cases, in 1990 MQM leader Altaf Hussain publicly threatened the editor of the monthly NEWSLINE magazine after he published an article on the MQM's use of torture against dissident members. The following year, a prominent journalist, Zafar Abbas, was severely beaten in Karachi in an attack that was widely blamed on MQM leaders angered over articles by Abbas describing the party's factions.
The same year, MQM activists assaulted scores of vendors selling DAWN, Pakistan's largest English-language newspaper, and other periodicals owned by Herald Publications.The MQM has also frequently called strikes in Karachi and other cities in Sindh province and used killings and other violence to keep shops closed and people off the streets. During strikes, MQM activists have ransacked businesses that remained open and attacked motorists and pedestrians who ventured outside.
From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was targeted by the Pakistan Army. Torture cells alleged to have been maintained by MQM, were discovered in 1992. These cells were used to torture the abducted members of MQM-Haqiqi and other political rivals.
It was during Operation Cleanup when MQM was blamed of being anti Pakistan and a separatist movement for planning of Jinnahpur. Though, later the few senior army officers at the time said that Jinnahpur was "nothing but a drama" against MQM for the military operation and there was no map of Jinnahpur.
However, the former Director General Rangers Safdar Ali Khan and corpse commander Karachi General Nasir Akhtar at the time, still argue that Jinnahpur maps were indeed recovered but such reports were refuted under the pressure of MQM’s lobbying in the army and civilian political leadership
The gruesome incident occurred on May 12 in which 42 people were killed. This carnage was alleged to have been planned again by MQM which acted as a local bully for the then dictator General Pervez Musharaf. He dismissed Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Iftikhar Chaudhry on allegations of misconduct and misuse of authority. This started the lawyers' movement throughout Pakistan and on May 12 Karachi’s visit of suspended chief justice was part of these countrywide protests. The MQM called its supporters out on streets to defend that decision of president and prevent chief justice from leaving Karachi airport.
This time new to its policy of “Gherao our Jallao” was its its failed attempt to pitch Hazarawals against Pakhtuns by blaming the killings of Pakhtuns on Hazarawals. But the Hazarawal community leaders moved in quickly and foiled MQM’s conspiratorial posturing.
It is not an academic discussion now that MQM’s targeting of Pakhtuns is pre-planned. This policy is tantamount to ethnic cleansing of Pakhtuns.The 1993 United Nations Commission defined ethnic cleansing as : "the planned deliberate removal from a specific territory, persons of a particular ethnic group, by force or intimidation, in order to render that area ethnically homogeneous." (UN report in 1993).
Why MQM is targeting Pakhtuns, because Pakhtuns living in Karachi have progressed economically. They have seen upwards mobility. For being entrepreneurial community, Pakhtuns have come a long way from their menial economic activities. Now they have become well educated and are looking for jobs. They hold a hand over Pakistan’s transport. The new generation of Pakhtuns who have gone through different educational institutions in Karachi, do not want to remain watchmen, or labourers or Chai Walas.Thus the new generation is in direct competition with Urdu speaking residents which MQM can not put up with. Hence MQM wants Pakhtuns to leave Karachi for good.
Secondly, property prices in Pakhun dominated areas have gone up over the years. This is why MQM’s city government looses no chance to demolish Pakhtuns’ properties and sell them in gold prices under the garb of lack of proper property documentation.
Thirdly, MQM’s Talibanisatan charges, is actually a ruse to deprive Pakhtuns of their right to make a living in Karachi, and as an excuse to stop their vertical mobility. There is no evidence that Taliban have taken any part of the city. Individual Taliban are arrested from Punjab and other cities of the country as well. It does not mean that nearly 07 million Pakhtuns ( source: "Front Line World"-Focus- a report produced in association with the New York Times) are Taliban.
For many the politics of MQM is bordering neo-political fascism. Contrast between the terrorism of Taliban and that of MQM against Pakhtun community is not far fetched.
One wonders why parties like PPP, PML-N, and other political forces are still pandering to MQM’s xenophobic and racist politics by design or by default, casting doubt on their commitment to democracy and the right of minorities in the country.
But they have a compelling reason to act now: first is to save Karachi from returning to a Beirut style civil war of 1980s, second is to ensure Karachi continues to play a role as Pakistan’s economic hub.
In order to achieve these two gaols, MQM’s strangle hold over Karachi has to be broken and this is the way forward:
(A) Proportional representation should be adopted so that the electoral system is not biased against smaller political parties. It is common that in “first past the post system” major parties get the main advantage despite getting overall minority share of the total vote polled. PR will increase the share of smaller parties who came second or third in the polls.
(B) Redistricting of existing constituencies in Karachi be done on the basis of “ethnic” rather than “linguistic” demographics, as Pakhtuns and other ethnic groups who now speak Urdu- because of having lost fluency in their first languages- are now wrongly codified as Urdu speaking population. The current census only offers the choice of first language spoken at home and does not have the choice of ethnicity.
Ethnic demographic will give more share to Pakhtuns, Punjabis and other ethnic groups in the federal and provincial legislative assemblies and thus will serve as check on the MQM.
(C) Re-demarcation of Pakhtun and Urdu speaking areas will also ensure change in the Karachi’s local government breaking the political monopoly of the MQM over the city which is the long standing desire of PPP, ANP, Sindhi Nationalist, JI, TIP, and PML-N).
(D) Until the redistricting of the city, on the basis of above method, district government should be appointed by the central government rather than elected as it will only ensure MQM pre-dominance in every walk of life at the exclusion of of other ethnic communities.
(E) Pakhtun- dominated areas in Karachi should be redistricted in a manner that could ensure Pakhun representation. (The present state of affairs of Karachi where nearly 7 million Pakhtuns do not have a adequate representation in Pakistan's legislative assemblies, is preposterous).
(F) The district government of Karachi should not be handed over the control of police until fair redistricting of the constituencies happen.
(G) A a review commission appointed by the Parliament, should determine the share of other ethnic groups in Karachi as well including removal of difficulties in getting domicile certificates and national identity cards in the city.
However, if the issue of MQM’s ethnic cleansing against Pakhtuns is not checked, the organisation would come after Punjabis, Sindhis, Balochs and other communities as they think Karachi is their turf. But Pakhtuns and other communities including Urdu speaking residents have equal rights to leave in Karachi and in peace. The clock is ticking in Karachi for the rulers to heed to the warning shots and go beyond the situational rhetorics. janassakzai200@gmail.com
Comments