The Still Unanswered Questions!

On the sad demise of MQM`s MNA, Tahira Asif, MQM``s founder Mr. Altaf Hussain said that the killing of Tahira Asif on 19^th June had reminded him the 19^th June, 1992 when military operation was launched against MQM in which thousands of MQM workers and supporters were killed. “That time too, Nawaz Sharif was the Prime Minister and Shehbaz Sharif was the Chief Minister Punjab”, he added.

MQM observes 19 June, 1992 as a “Black Day” all over the world where it has its political existence. On this day, MQM on one side condemns the military operation launched against it about 22 years, on the other, it pays tribute to its works and supporters who lost their lives during what happened in the name of restoring peace in Karachi. Although MQM had been facing political as well as ethnically-based victimization since its inception, but the 1992`s military operation was a formal declaration from both hidden and unhidden powers of the country that they would not accept MQM at all. Consequently, thousands of MQM`s workers and supporters were killed under the veil of “Operation Clean-up” in urban Sindh especially in Karachi.

As a matter of fact, when operation was being discussed, MQM was the part of the coalition government led by Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. In the beginning, it was officially announced that the proposed operation would be against the dacoits, land grabbers and their sponsors who had been disturbing the law and order of Sindh. In this context, a list of 72 culprits (Big Fish) was also presented in the Parliament as well as in the federal cabinet. MQM extended its full support to the government for that operation. But, overnight, the military operation was diverted to MQM from 19th June, 1992 by deploying the “Haqiqi group”(MQM`s rivals) in Karachi and Hyderabad in the army trucks.

The “Haqiqi group” occupied MQM`s offices and kidnapped its workers & supporters and forced them on gun point to work with them against Altaf Hussain. Whoever did not agree with them was killed and dumped on the streets of the city. There is a long of the people who were kidnapped and tortured to death this way. The raids & arrests by the law-enforcement agencies in MQM`s supporting areas were also being carried out at the same time. As a result, thousands of people were arrested, tortured and hundreds of them were also extra-judicially killed. Of the people arrested, there were twenty eight (28) MQM`s workers who went missing. There have been over two decades since their family members last saw them in the custody of the LEA`s, but no update about them yet.

Jinnah Pure Conspiracy, allegation of Major Kaleem incident, suspicious murder of MQM`s Chairman Azeem Ahmed Tariq, extra-judicial killings of Altaf Hussain`s elder brothers and nephew, all these things were executed during the same tenure. The wall-chalking “Altaf`s Chapter`s Closed” and the Army Chief`s Asif Nawz`s statement “When Muslim League can be in groups, why not MQM?” were clearly revealing the evil conspiracy behind the operation. More than 15,000 people were killed during all the episodes of 1992`s operation in Karachi. All those killings took place despite the presence of all the law-enforcement agencies including Army.

In this respect, the history also contains the press conference of Brigadier Haroon at Liaquatabad chowk just few days after the start of the crackdown against MQM in June 1992 in which he said, “We have taken over Karachi completely and the city is clear now.” The question is, if Karachi had been militarily taken over by the Army, then how did thousands of people get killed in front of the soldiers? Who should be held responsible for all form of violence in the city which took so many lives? Was it inefficiency of the law-enforcement agencies or the planned state`s policy against MQM and its voters? 

It is on record that MQM has always wanted to co-operate with the government in order to restore peace in the country including Karachi. That was the reason why it extended its unconditional support to the government and Army for the operation Clean Up in 1992. But, why was the operation diverted to MQM and Urdu speaking community by leaving the 72 big fish free? Why didn`t anyone raise questions to so evil diversion? Was it the misconduct of an army chief, as was explained to MQM`s leadership, or, perhaps, it was as per the State` s planned policy from which MQM was kept in the dark? For instance, if it was an ill-deed of only one individual (COAS Asif Nawaz), then why didn`t the other responsible people and institutions of the country including the Prime Minister, President, Chief Minister Sindh, Supreme or High Court take action against the culprit so as to stop the oppression on the people?

Very unfortunately, not speaking of provide justice to the victims, all of these extended their logistic support to the “misconduct of an individual”. That was the reason why June 1992`s operation continued even after the demise of Asif Nawaz Janjua. Although of the main perpetrators of 92 operations confessed on-air that the debut of Jinnah Pur was totally fabricated, similarly, the Supreme Court also declared that the Major Kaleem case was based on a lie, yet neither the culprits were brought to justice, nor could the victimization of MQM and its voters stop.

Factually speaking, 92`s military operation neither could replace MQM with the establishment`s deployed Haqiq group, nor could it restore peace in Karachi. The only fall out of the military operation was the distrust of the people of urban Sindh on the state institutions due to the mass killings that they had to face especially in the 90`s. But, very unfortunately, the legacy of 92`s policy is still continuing and no one has come forward to restore the trust of the Urdu speakers. It is on record that despite burning down the Ziarat Residency and struggling for an independent state by Baloch separatists, PML-N`s leadership allowed a Baloch national party to form its government in Balochistan in the name of “Restoring Balochis` trust on state of Pakistan”. Altogether in contrast to it, one more operation has been imposed on MQM and Karachi-ites by the same government that is requiring more blood and lives from them.

Although MQM has been trying to carry the disappointed people along with the state despite all the deceptions from the stake holders of the country, but how long? God knows the best how long this will continue. But, both internally and externally emerging scenarios indicate that something is about to be decided before long. Let`s see if the world would see a grand revolution in Pakistan providing justice to the oppressed or, perhaps, another “fall”. May God save Pakistan!