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‘To fight MQM, a monster was created by PPP’
Shahid Husain
Friday,
February 07, 2014
Karachi
The Pakistan People’s Party made a mess of Lyari to fight the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, creating a “monster” as a consequence, said Dr Nida Kirmani.
She claimed the PPP used Lyari to fight the MQM, for which the gangs there were strengthened and, later, they washed their hands of it.
Dr Nida, an assistant professor of sociology in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Lahore University of Management Sciences, made these observations after the conclusion of ‘An open dialogue for forcibly migrated youth in Lyari’ at the Karachi Press Club.
The event was organised by a Lyari-based youth organisation by the name of Youth for Education, Learning and Leadership.
A documentary on the life and livelihood of the impoverished, low-income citizens of Lyari was screened for the audience, mostly comprising young boys and girls of the town, and was followed by an open discussion.
Razzak Sarbazi, a young journalist who made the documentary, said that it was his assignment by senior journalist Musadiq Sanwal, who passed away recently.
Artisans; musicians; sportsmen, especially footballers; shopkeepers; rickshaw drivers and quacks were part of the documentary and several people, including the young and the old, were interviewed.
“If the Hindu minority community feels safe somewhere in Karachi, it’s Lyari,” said a person interviewed in the documentary. “There is no discrimination here.”
Senior journalist Saeed Sarbazi said: “Everybody knows one other here in a radius of two miles. Violence in Lyari got official patronage during the era of General Ayub Khan and gang war reached its zenith when another military dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, ruled the roost.”
Omar Lassi said: “Lyari has now become a complex issue. The issue should be seen in its proper perspective. Lyari is an 1800-acre piece of land with congested population.”
Another speaker said that there was no target in Lyari. “Bombs are thrown there at random, without any target. It can hit anyone. Gangsters have no agenda. Individually, they might have an agenda to make money.”
He said political parties were either apathetic or hostile towards the town. “Lyari is being maligned. The vast majority of the people living in Lyari are victims of terrorism; they are not criminals.”
He claimed the Rangers were arresting innocent people because criminals flee whenever the paramilitary force arrives in Lyari.
“I am a Lyariite. I am neither safe in Lyari, nor in Karachi, nor in Pakistan. Even the elected representatives of Lyari are not vocal about the problems of Lyariites,” he added.
Aftab Baloch said: “The people of Lyari are looking for a messiah.” He said he had received a text message that said, “Suna hai bohat sasta hai khoon wahan ka; aik basti hai, usay Lyari kehtay hain.” (I’ve heard life is cheap there; a town, it’s called Lyari.)
“Old city is supposed to be the best place anywhere in the world, but in Karachi, old city is the worst,” lamented Baloch.
Shahid Husain
Friday,
February 07, 2014
Karachi
The Pakistan People’s Party made a mess of Lyari to fight the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, creating a “monster” as a consequence, said Dr Nida Kirmani.
She claimed the PPP used Lyari to fight the MQM, for which the gangs there were strengthened and, later, they washed their hands of it.
Dr Nida, an assistant professor of sociology in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Lahore University of Management Sciences, made these observations after the conclusion of ‘An open dialogue for forcibly migrated youth in Lyari’ at the Karachi Press Club.
The event was organised by a Lyari-based youth organisation by the name of Youth for Education, Learning and Leadership.
A documentary on the life and livelihood of the impoverished, low-income citizens of Lyari was screened for the audience, mostly comprising young boys and girls of the town, and was followed by an open discussion.
Razzak Sarbazi, a young journalist who made the documentary, said that it was his assignment by senior journalist Musadiq Sanwal, who passed away recently.
Artisans; musicians; sportsmen, especially footballers; shopkeepers; rickshaw drivers and quacks were part of the documentary and several people, including the young and the old, were interviewed.
“If the Hindu minority community feels safe somewhere in Karachi, it’s Lyari,” said a person interviewed in the documentary. “There is no discrimination here.”
Senior journalist Saeed Sarbazi said: “Everybody knows one other here in a radius of two miles. Violence in Lyari got official patronage during the era of General Ayub Khan and gang war reached its zenith when another military dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, ruled the roost.”
Omar Lassi said: “Lyari has now become a complex issue. The issue should be seen in its proper perspective. Lyari is an 1800-acre piece of land with congested population.”
Another speaker said that there was no target in Lyari. “Bombs are thrown there at random, without any target. It can hit anyone. Gangsters have no agenda. Individually, they might have an agenda to make money.”
He said political parties were either apathetic or hostile towards the town. “Lyari is being maligned. The vast majority of the people living in Lyari are victims of terrorism; they are not criminals.”
He claimed the Rangers were arresting innocent people because criminals flee whenever the paramilitary force arrives in Lyari.
“I am a Lyariite. I am neither safe in Lyari, nor in Karachi, nor in Pakistan. Even the elected representatives of Lyari are not vocal about the problems of Lyariites,” he added.
Aftab Baloch said: “The people of Lyari are looking for a messiah.” He said he had received a text message that said, “Suna hai bohat sasta hai khoon wahan ka; aik basti hai, usay Lyari kehtay hain.” (I’ve heard life is cheap there; a town, it’s called Lyari.)
“Old city is supposed to be the best place anywhere in the world, but in Karachi, old city is the worst,” lamented Baloch.
