"THE CAT IS AWAY, SO THE RATS CAN PLAY"
"The Cat is away, so the rats can play" and they are, that's what is actually happening at Karachi. All the major political players namely the governing party along with their allies i-e, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakhtun nationalist, Awami National Party (ANP) and the previous allies turned opposition Muthadda Qaumi Movement (MQM) are at proxy war with each other. They are the cats with the rats being petty criminals, street gangs and Taliban terrorists benefiting from this situation. They are all out murdering, extorting and looting all they can in the city. The law and order situation is nothing new for the mega metropolis of Pakistan like any other such mega city around the globe, but this time round all the cats are in conflict over their share of milk with the rats free to litter while the former are busy clawing each other.
To understand this chaos one needs to study the ethnic political divide of Karachi historically and the modern influx of domestic migration from restive areas of the country for economic reasons and else. Karachi being the mega port city of Pakistan is the commercial hub of not only Pakistan, but that for the region as well. Upon partition the Indian Muslim migrated in mass to Karachi and made it their new home bringing their experience in commerce with them. These migrants called "Urdu Speaking" Pakistanis now are the backbone of Karachi's modern economy and call the city their home. In the 80s their lower middle class encouraged by General Zia ul Haq formed their own political platform called "Muhajir Qaumi Movement" lead by Iltaf Hussain. The party rose to success in the backdrop of political persecution and violence faced by this community at the hands of the local Sindhis and Pakhtun/Punjabi settlers. After three decades the "Mujahir replaced by "Mutahada", MQM still lead by self exiled Iltaf Hussain is a major political force at Karachi to reckon with almost all the various segments of Urdu Speaking community in it's fold now. Other major players are the home province party the PPP currently in power along with the ANP which represents the Pakhtun settlers at Karachi from the province of Khyber Pakhtonkhwa.
In the aftermath of US lead invasion of Afghanistan, Karachi also became the hotbed for Pakistani Talibans and Al-Qaeeda. These terror outfits generate revenue through kidnap for ransom and extortion and also use the financial network of Karachi to launder their black money. All the political parties also posses their respective militant wings with the MQM leading with regards to the organization and extortion systems matured over decades. The turf wars over Karachi by the militant wings are the cause of biggest law and order challenge to the city. while the politicians are busy fighting their proxy wars , the common criminals, street gangs and above all Taliban terrorists are all free to rampage the city, as is happening right now.
The MQM most recently demanded to hand over the city to the Army for maintaining law and order. This clearly gives the impression that the MQM militant and political network is taking the most severe beating in the current battle on the streets among the political thugs of Karachi. How we reach this deduction is through a study of not so distant past, when in 1995, PPP central government led by the slain Benazir Bhutto targeted the lawlessness at Karachi, essentially targeting the MQM through a military action and broke their back by killing most of their militant wing or forcing the rest to flee the city. The operation was most effective in it's nature to cleanse the city and establish peace. MQM has ever since opposed any proposal of military action in the city. After the last Elections in post General Musharraf era of Pakistan the canny widower of Benazir, Asif Zardari formed an unnatural alliance at Sindh government between PPP and MQM to share the loot at the mega city while the latter became coalition partners in a fragile central government lead by former. MQM, thus succeeded in clinging on the power corridors of Karachi for almost two decades in the run while they were political partners of military dictator Musharraf as well. This time round, as a result of Elections-2013, PPP again came into power at Sindh province loosing the center to yet another unnatural and underhand partner Mr Nawaz Sharif and party who have a clear majority to hold power in the center. Now MQM was offered to come on board the provincial government, keeping in view their political influence in the city by PPP, but on the latter's terms and condition this time round. The MQM refused to oblige and choose not to become coalition partners at the provincial government of Sindh with an impotent state in which they can not continue their business as usual. The result was breaking out of proxy wars between the militant wings of both the parties in which the Pakhtuns sided with their political partners, the PPP. So far MQM's most hardened militants have been shot dead in a violent street war of "target killing" at Karachi with PPP having the upper edge being in government and controlling the Law Enforcement Agencies of the city. As the war goes on, MQM bleed profusely and as a last resort demands the military to intervene.
However, the military will only moves under the order of Central government, on the request of the provincial government. The provincial government being lead by PPP and the center by Nawaz league in this case is least likely to take any action. Nawaz League have no "love lost" with the MQM both traditionally and historically. So unless the MQM budge to PPP's demands and decide to give way and loose some of their profitable turf at Karachi from which they were extorting prime bucks, the city will not see any peace. MQM knows this, but also foresee such a retreat as loosing valuable influence over the business community who contribute the major share in their party fund as protection money. For the time being the target killings will go on and the petty criminals and terrorists will continue to have a field day. I only hope and pray that this anarchy does not last longer than it should as its not only the rats who are at play but the anti Pakistani state vultures are also looking to strike as they always do in such like opportunities. In the meantime, the city of lights, bleeds on................................
"The Cat is away, so the rats can play" and they are, that's what is actually happening at Karachi. All the major political players namely the governing party along with their allies i-e, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakhtun nationalist, Awami National Party (ANP) and the previous allies turned opposition Muthadda Qaumi Movement (MQM) are at proxy war with each other. They are the cats with the rats being petty criminals, street gangs and Taliban terrorists benefiting from this situation. They are all out murdering, extorting and looting all they can in the city. The law and order situation is nothing new for the mega metropolis of Pakistan like any other such mega city around the globe, but this time round all the cats are in conflict over their share of milk with the rats free to litter while the former are busy clawing each other.
To understand this chaos one needs to study the ethnic political divide of Karachi historically and the modern influx of domestic migration from restive areas of the country for economic reasons and else. Karachi being the mega port city of Pakistan is the commercial hub of not only Pakistan, but that for the region as well. Upon partition the Indian Muslim migrated in mass to Karachi and made it their new home bringing their experience in commerce with them. These migrants called "Urdu Speaking" Pakistanis now are the backbone of Karachi's modern economy and call the city their home. In the 80s their lower middle class encouraged by General Zia ul Haq formed their own political platform called "Muhajir Qaumi Movement" lead by Iltaf Hussain. The party rose to success in the backdrop of political persecution and violence faced by this community at the hands of the local Sindhis and Pakhtun/Punjabi settlers. After three decades the "Mujahir replaced by "Mutahada", MQM still lead by self exiled Iltaf Hussain is a major political force at Karachi to reckon with almost all the various segments of Urdu Speaking community in it's fold now. Other major players are the home province party the PPP currently in power along with the ANP which represents the Pakhtun settlers at Karachi from the province of Khyber Pakhtonkhwa.
In the aftermath of US lead invasion of Afghanistan, Karachi also became the hotbed for Pakistani Talibans and Al-Qaeeda. These terror outfits generate revenue through kidnap for ransom and extortion and also use the financial network of Karachi to launder their black money. All the political parties also posses their respective militant wings with the MQM leading with regards to the organization and extortion systems matured over decades. The turf wars over Karachi by the militant wings are the cause of biggest law and order challenge to the city. while the politicians are busy fighting their proxy wars , the common criminals, street gangs and above all Taliban terrorists are all free to rampage the city, as is happening right now.
The MQM most recently demanded to hand over the city to the Army for maintaining law and order. This clearly gives the impression that the MQM militant and political network is taking the most severe beating in the current battle on the streets among the political thugs of Karachi. How we reach this deduction is through a study of not so distant past, when in 1995, PPP central government led by the slain Benazir Bhutto targeted the lawlessness at Karachi, essentially targeting the MQM through a military action and broke their back by killing most of their militant wing or forcing the rest to flee the city. The operation was most effective in it's nature to cleanse the city and establish peace. MQM has ever since opposed any proposal of military action in the city. After the last Elections in post General Musharraf era of Pakistan the canny widower of Benazir, Asif Zardari formed an unnatural alliance at Sindh government between PPP and MQM to share the loot at the mega city while the latter became coalition partners in a fragile central government lead by former. MQM, thus succeeded in clinging on the power corridors of Karachi for almost two decades in the run while they were political partners of military dictator Musharraf as well. This time round, as a result of Elections-2013, PPP again came into power at Sindh province loosing the center to yet another unnatural and underhand partner Mr Nawaz Sharif and party who have a clear majority to hold power in the center. Now MQM was offered to come on board the provincial government, keeping in view their political influence in the city by PPP, but on the latter's terms and condition this time round. The MQM refused to oblige and choose not to become coalition partners at the provincial government of Sindh with an impotent state in which they can not continue their business as usual. The result was breaking out of proxy wars between the militant wings of both the parties in which the Pakhtuns sided with their political partners, the PPP. So far MQM's most hardened militants have been shot dead in a violent street war of "target killing" at Karachi with PPP having the upper edge being in government and controlling the Law Enforcement Agencies of the city. As the war goes on, MQM bleed profusely and as a last resort demands the military to intervene.
However, the military will only moves under the order of Central government, on the request of the provincial government. The provincial government being lead by PPP and the center by Nawaz league in this case is least likely to take any action. Nawaz League have no "love lost" with the MQM both traditionally and historically. So unless the MQM budge to PPP's demands and decide to give way and loose some of their profitable turf at Karachi from which they were extorting prime bucks, the city will not see any peace. MQM knows this, but also foresee such a retreat as loosing valuable influence over the business community who contribute the major share in their party fund as protection money. For the time being the target killings will go on and the petty criminals and terrorists will continue to have a field day. I only hope and pray that this anarchy does not last longer than it should as its not only the rats who are at play but the anti Pakistani state vultures are also looking to strike as they always do in such like opportunities. In the meantime, the city of lights, bleeds on................................
