Opinion
 
MPs opposing ‘Mohajir province’ receive life threats
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March 30, 2012
The economic hub of the country has been bedeviled by the fragile law and order situation for quite some time. Karachi, once epicenter of economic and commercial activities due to its conducive and favorable environment and rightly called the revenue engine and economic hub of the country, has off late turned into a city not conducive for investment, economic and industrial activities due to the deteriorating law and order situation.

The peace of the city has become so fragile that a minor incident plunges the whole city into lawlessness, riots and arsons, bringing all routine and economic and industrial activities to a halt. Incidents of extortion, kidnapping for ransom, street crimes, killings, ethnic and secretion unrest have become common in the city, one called “City of Lights” for its peaceful and harmonious atmosphere and its potential for employment generation.

With the state losing its writ in the city coupled with inefficiency, incompetence and politicization of administration and law-enforcement apparatus, many armed religious, sectarian, political and other criminals groups have emerged in the city, who wage turf wars for furthering their influence. A senior police official told weekly Pulse on condition of anonymity that the situation in the city was very grave as there were a numbers of groups armed with sophisticated weapons and trained criminal struggling to cement their control on their respective areas, besides furthering it. He said these groups, backed by political parties in many cases, were involved in extortions, kidnapping for ransom, bank dacoities, land grabbing, and street crimes; on and off, they also indulged in fighting each other to strengthen their hold on city areas. He said that the police had become practically dysfunctional and unable to confront these groups, as they enjoy patronage and support of parties sitting in the government.

He says that the situation urgently needed a complete overhaul and de-politicisation of law-enforcement agencies, besides their capacity building and latest training to confront and contain organised urban crimes. He also pointed out illegal arms accumulated by the criminal and political groups in the city, saying that the city needed to be purged of illegal arms immediately for ensuring lasting peace.

The situation is so alarming that a sitting MNA of the ruling party, Nabeel Gabol, has recently warned his government about the precarious law and order situation of the city. Nabeel says that the city has become a time bomb, which would explode anytime, leading to bloodshed, if stringent measures were not taken on emergency basis. He feared that in the prevailing situation, the upcoming general elections in the city could be bloody given the several armed groups operating in the city.

In such a precarious situation, recently a so-called Muhajir Liberation Army has emerged in the city, threatening the already fragile ethnic harmony of the city.

With the initiation of debate on creation of new provinces in the country, recently, a graffiti campaign was launched by an unknown group demanding Muhajir Province, which evoked strong reaction from across the province and almost all quarters, ranging from the ruling PPP to the nationalists groups. Following the wall-chalking, Sindh Assembly passed a unanimous resolution pledging to foil the conspiracies to divide the province and keeping intact its geographical borders. The resolution also condemned the wall-chalking campaign. After the passage of the resolution, the movers of the resolution started getting threatening phone calls and tax messages, wherein they were warned of serious consequences if they did not desist from opposing the Mohajir province. The threatening phone calls and tax messages created a stir in the province, leading to heightened tension both in Karachi and interior parts of the province. This did not stop there, as the lawmakers, mostly from PPP, are receiving threatening letters from the so-called Mohajir Liberation Movement, asking them to immediately leave the ‘Muhajir province’ (Karachi) and settle in interior parts of Sindh along with their families, otherwise they would be killed.

As many as five legislators of the Pakistan People’s Party, including two ministers, have so far received the threatening letters, warning them to leave Karachi or be prepared for the consequences.

Culture Minister Sassui Palijo, former information minister Sharjeel Memon, and MPAs Humera Alwani and Hasnain Mirza have received the threats after they had voted for the resolution against the division of Sindh.

Sharjeel Memon on Monday confirmed to Weekly Pulse by telephone from abroad that a letter containing the threatening message had been delivered by post at his house in Karachi, and that he was shortening his visit and returning to the city on Tuesday.

Memon said that the terrorists had warned him to leave Karachi along with his family or be ready to face the consequences. He said he had informed the prime minister of the development and also urged him to take the matter seriously.

Memon, however, added that nobody could have him expelled from the city, and he was not at all scared by such hollow threats. He also warned the criminal elements that no one could ever have the courage to separate Karachi from Sindh.

Memon, nevertheless, said that the matter of the threatening messages needed to be thoroughly investigated because he had had no doubts that they were part of a conspiracy to create a chaotic situation in the city like the one that prevailed in Beirut. It was also a conspiracy against Pakistan, he added.

Memon also asked the Chief Justice of Pakistan why he was not taking any notice of such a threatening situation which seemed to be a conspiracy against the country.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, has ordered an investigation into the threats being issued to the provincial minister for culture, Sassui Palijo, by a particular group.

The investigation was ordered after Sassui Palijo met the chief minister and informed him about the threats. Palijo told the chief minister that she, along with her family, had been threatened of dire consequences after she had voted on the resolution against the division of the province.

She said that the members of the group had sent her the threat on her cell phone as well as through email, the press release concluded. Meanwhile, no FIR was lodged at any police station in the city regarding the threats to the PPP legislators so far.

When contacted, Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri termed the letters a cowardly act by certain elements. Marri said the mindset behind it was “threatened” itself, by the strengthening of the province, after the 18th Amendment and the new NFC Award.

There has always been propaganda against the democrats in Pakistan and the move is an example of such tactics, the minister stated.

She said the Pakistan People’s Party had continuously struggled for a strong and a democratic country. “Such cowards can only write letters because the resolve of the people of Sindh is far stronger than they can ever imagine.”

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