PPP Vs. Lyari

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/05/01/comment/editors-mail/ppp-vs-lyari/


So this time the raids in Lyari started, and to the surprise of everyone, they weren't the cosmetic raids like they have been traditionally. That immediately sent up all kinds of bells and whistles going in the thinking person's mind. And the thought process went something like this: Lyari is an area of PPP loyalists, its patrons (Zulfikar Mirza and the happy band of PPP biggies) are in power, the police and CID follow the orders of the government, so why is there an earnest attempt to actually bring order to Lyari?

Without sounding too much like a conspiracy theorist, I felt that there was something not right with that picture. The only thing that was making sense was that the PPP-backed element that was in iron-clad control of Lyari had somehow gotten on the wrong side of their lords and masters. Could it be the meeting between the banned outfit, People’s Amn Committee or PAC and PML-N? Nawaz’s people made the effort to go to Uzair Baloch’s house and conduct that meeting. Not only had there been a conversation, but the leaders of PAC had given the impression that maybe it was time for them to explore political options other than PPP.

The powerscape of Lyari was changing with the release Arshad Pappu. He was let go after 60, yes folks, 60 cases against him were dismissed.  There was talk of him teaming up with Katchi Raabta Committee and threatening the power of PAC. I guess when all the criminal elements were given refuge in the heart of Karachi amidst innocent fathers, mothers and children, it was never considered that their loyalty would be in question. They would have the run of the Lyari, have a free hand to torture and kill for their benefactors and serve PPP. They would not only create a zone in the heart of the city where bodies could drop and detractors tortured like nobody’s business but they would also preserve a huge vote-bank for PPP.

It seemed that as soon as the integrity of that vote-bank was threatened, the green light was given for this raid. Hit ‘em hard and teach ‘em a lesson. The strange thing was that something so clear to some of us was not being discussed by everyone. People were quick to jump on the “Hate MQM” bandwagon saying that the violence was MQM backed because they wanted to gain hold of Lyari. But that all changed with PAC member Zafar Baloch’s bombshell interview. According to him not only did PPP want them neutralised for leaning towards PML-N but specifically wanted him dead because he could provide priceless testimony against PPP. He claimed that PPP was not only responsible for the violence but also for provision of weapons to the gangs in Lyari.  Now Uzair and Zafar Baluch have been placed on Exit Control lists.The PAC has all the hounds of PPP in full pursuit of them.  The drop-scene of this fiasco promises to be intriguing. How will Dr Frankenstein deal with this out-of -control monster?

Apparently, even as the violence in Lyari is dominating the news desks, it is not considered prudent by the government to send in the Rangers for a quick resolution! Is curbing “lawlessness” in non-violent MQM dominated areas so important that the Rangers are focused there rather than where they are needed most?

All political parties have an agenda and it is those agendas that make them appealing to different people. But when these political parties blatantly defy the laws of not only their country but of God, it is up to the people to hold them accountable. It does not help that as soon as questionable events happen, we throw blame at everyone except the political parties that we follow. Loyalty is admirable but blind faith is ignorance. Stand up to what is wrong and make your voice heard. There are more of us then there are of them. As a wise man once said: “ All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing”.

The Dilemma Of Lyari

Lyari. The name has become synonymous with notoriety and violence. This is one of the few neighborhoods of the world, that has achieved fame of this level, without a PR team, without any celebrity sightings or soft white sand beaches and tourist spots. Instead it’s claim to fame has been the kind that majority of Lyari  residents would rather have done without. But in Pakistan, who cares what the majority wants. It is the need of the privileged few that always surpasses the need of the many!

Gang wars are the special of the day. Violence erupts on the street without warning and whoever falls prey is just collateral damage.  The brunt of these attacks is always borne by the innocent bystander, the man on his way to work, the child on his way to school.The government in power, which incidentally was supported overwhelmingly by the citizens of Lyari, has made a great show of raiding the area several times to clean it up but have been less than successful. The seriousness of these raids can be determined by the name given to them by the people: cosmetic raids. These so-called raids are nothing more than the government and police officials standing outside the limits of Lyari and posturing and posing in front of media and camera crews.

At one time Lyari was known for its street schools. There were more than a hundred of these schools on street corners where kids and adults were taught, for a nominal charge, by college students in their free time. Not only did this provide education but also gave the college students an income to continue their education. Now only five of these schools remain. They are not able to have regular classes because of the random eruption of violence and volunteers are few. To add insult to injury,children, some as young as five years old, are being recruited by gangs. Their toys are being replaced by handguns. There have been incidences where these children have tried to leave the gangs only to meet with unfortunate circumstances.  

It is not just the violence that is plaguing Lyari. Highly addictive substances like Gutka and Mainpuri tobacco are being sold openly despite being banned by the government. But since, in Lyari, the sellers of this cancerous poison hold the favor of the power- that-be, the ban is enforced selectively.  The only effect this ban has had in Lyari is that the price of these chewable tobaccos has doubled. Elsewhere these are sold in secrecy but in Lyari they are sold in full view and without fear.

Will the men, women and children of Lyari ever get a break or are they condemned for generations to come. They are being held hostage with no one making the commitment to save them. Rehman Malik made a joke at the expense of the very people who brought his party into power, rhyming “Katchi” with “Machi”. A statement which was neither intelligent nor funny. This is how much respect the constituents have from their leaders. It boggles the mind trying to figure out how it is possible that a government that has an entire police force at its command is unable to bring peace to a single neighborhood. A neighborhood in the heart of Karachi.  These people are the lifeblood of the ruling PPP party. Benazir Bhutto referred to them as her “ladlay” (beloved). Bilawal Bhutto, the crown prince of PPP, is slated to be the next representative of Lyari. And yet the law and order situation here rivals that of Hell! If PPP is treating their beloveds in this manner then what hope does the rest of the country have!  

WE WERE DESTINED FOR GREATNESS!

A man and his brother killed and a woman injured. They were attacked by armed gunmen who wanted them dead because of a difference in political belief.  Is human life worth so little that it can be snuffed out over a difference of political opinion. Do we hate each other so much that we can justify murder?   

What happened to us? We fought for our freedom against insurmountable odds. We stood up against the British Empire and we won. At that time when countries were being carved out of the world on ethnicities, we stood together, shoulder to shoulder. Sindhis, Baluchis, Pathans, Muhajirs, and Punjabis and fought hard to demand a nation on the basis of our beliefs, as Muslims.  Why, now, are we fighting just as hard to break our country apart?

Is each group so dissatisfied with the state of affairs that they are willing to pull apart from what they fought so hard for, a mere 60 years ago? The separatists in Baluchistan want their own nation because the army has laid siege to their villages and cut off their supplies. According to a report by UNICEF, the Bugti and Marri children are among the most malnourished in the world. The Sindhi separatists want their own nation because their resources are being looted, they are denied growth and development. FATA has always been out of the range of the Constitution. Muhajirs want to preserve the integrity of the country, but they yearn for a province of their own as they feel that they need to fight for their rights. The Punjabis seem to be biding their time. Under these circumstances, who wouldn’t feel powerless and marginalized?

But tearing our country apart is not the answer. What we seem to forget is that we -- the common people -- have all the power. During these hard times, we have seen leaders emerge who hold the confidence of their people. If there are people that the Baluchis, Sindhis or Pathans consider competent enough to lead them out of disaster, then elect them to positions of power. Take a lesson from the Muhajir playbook. Elect your representative to power and then hold them accountable.  Don’t do away with the federal government, but make your provincial governments stronger. If they fail you, find new leaders.

We are a strong and proud people. We are passionate about what we want. We have leaders among us. How long are we going to keep making the same mistakes, electing the same heartless souls to power again and again,only to push us further into misery? We should all rise up and stand together once again, and fight the corruption and hatred that is eating us from the inside. We should vote according to who will work for us. We make the mistake of voting for political parties because of a warped sense of loyalty.That is where we go wrong.  Let them compete for our vote rather than us competing for their handouts. If the party you have been voting for through generations is not fulfilling its promises, don’t vote for them. Vote for a person who is sincere, even if he belongs to a different party. Then we will have a progressive society where the voters are empowered.

One strong country. A country where the voters have the power and the government is the public servant. This is the goal towards which we should strive. The people who make decisions that affect the life of the common man on the street should be from the streets. What do the privileged elite know of our pain? Have they ever gone hungry? Have they ever looked for a job? Have they ever worried about where the next meal will come from?

Let us come together as a nation and not as the tattered fragments of one. Let us burn our old animosities and prejudices and rise together as one, stronger than ever. Then, and only then, will we be noticed. It is time we stop being the victims and become game-changers and king-makers.