Raid At “90”___A New Episode Of Victimization!

Early Wednesday morning, Rangers forces carried out a raid at Nine-Zero, the headquarters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Karachi, as well as its public secretariat in Khursheed Begum Memorial Hall, in which they, as per their claim, arrested some wanted persons. Colonel Tahir further claimed that the Rangers also recovered the ammunition possibly including the one stolen from the NATO containers.

It is on record that then DG Rangers Sindh Maj-Gen Rizwan Akhtar submitted a report to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in August 2013 over lawlessness in Karachi in which he claimed that around 19,000 shipping containers having weapons had gone missing during the tenure of the (MQM`s) former minister for ports and shipping (http://www.dawn.com/news/1039406 ). In the report, then DG Rangers also informed the SC that 9mm pistols of the stolen containers were mainly used in murder crimes in the city.

MQM altogether denied the entire story and decided to approach the court against it. Mean while the US embassy refuted the entire story. The embassy said, “While the United States routinely uses Karachi ports for both diplomatic and military shipments, neither the United States nor ISAF has ever shipped weapons or ammunition via Karachi ports.” (http://tribune.com.pk/story/600628/missing-containers-case-no-arms-shipments-made-via-karachi-says-us/)

No doubt it was a clear rebuttal of the DG Rangers` claim about the alleged missing of NATO containers, yet the lawyer for ISI Raja Irshad trashed the position of the American ambassador`s clarification and once again claimed that 19,000 containers did go missing in Karachi. His stance implied that, from the ISI`s point of view, the US authorities` clarification was an attempt to hide the reality.

For instance, if it is assumed that the thousands of weapon-laden containers had really gone missing and that the denial from the US authorities was a lie, then it was the responsibility of the ISI and government of Pakistan to raise this matter before the United State`s government and require explanation from them. But, very unfortunately, neither the Prime Minister of Pakistan nor the Chief of Army staff talked about it during their visit to America. On top of all, the DG ISI, who as DG Rangers Sindh had introduced the entire story of the missing NATO containers, too did not even touch the highly important matter with his American contemporaries during his recent visit to the United Stated.

However, by now, no proof has yet been presented in the support of their allegations. More importantly, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Chief of Army Staff visited US and had meeting with the relevant authorities there, but neither of them raised this issue with them. On top of it, the present DG ISI Rizwan Akhtar who, as then DG Rangers Sindh, had introduced the matter of 19,000 NATO containers has just visited the United States of America and very surprisingly, he too did not speak a single word in America. Why not? Was he not supposed to present all the supporting proofs to his contemporary and protest over deliberately promoting violence in Karachi? On the other hand, if their allegation was based on any dis-information, they should have extended apology to MQM leadership publicly. But, once again claim to have recovered the missing containers` weapons from MQM`s office shows that the ISI and Rangers are still with their previous stand. 

To tell the truth, for raising this matter with the American government, the DG ISI, Army chief and Prime Minister of Pakistan would have to provide the reliable and sufficient proofs and evidences to them that is why they altogether sealed their lips in US. In contrast to it, no proof or evidence was needed at all in Pakistan when the same authorities were to take actions against MQM and its followers under the same allegation. That is exactly what we witnessed during the raid MQM`s head office. What the hell is this Pakistani law-enforcement agencies are claiming to have recovered the NATO containers` weapons from “90” which even did not get stolen as explained by the US authorities! Sorry for the MQM`s workers and supporters who are being accused of having of the same weapon. What else should it be named if not victimization of a party and specific community (Muhajirs) by the Pakistani forces?

It is also worth noticing that, last year a well-known GEO news anchorperson Hamid Mir was attacked in Karachi while coming to Karachi from the airport. Like other high profile target killings in the city, 9mm pistol was used for this purpose. Luckily, Hamid Mir survived and clearly accused ISI and its head of being behind the attack. Taking into account the charge of stealing 19,000 missing NATO containers on MQM and also for using their stolen 9mm pistols in killing people, Hamid Mir`s attack could also have been put on MQM`s shoulders like Wali Khan Baber`s murder. But, thanks to God that he survived and disclosed names of his enemies. Otherwise, the Sindh Rangers might have found one more “wanted suspect” of Hamid Mir attack case from MQM`s head quarter (“90”).  

The history of operations in Karachi reveals that it is not a new thing that MQM and the Urdu speaking people (Muhajirs) are on the target of the Pakistani law-enforcement agencies. All these operations were launched in the name of restoring peace in the city and MQM fully supported them. But, all the times, they targeted MQM and its voters. Since 1992, over 20,000 people have been killed during these operations either by way of extra-judicial killings and/or in target killings despite the presence of the Pakistani law-enforcement agencies. 28 MQM`s workers are still missing even for about 20 years after their arrests. Thousands of accusations were put on MQM to justify their malicious actions in Karachi, but with the passage of time, almost got proved in the court of law and otherwise.

It should also be kept in mind that MQM emerged during 80`s as a result of the long-prevailing discrimination and injustice against Urdu speaking community on ethnic bases. That was the reason why majority of this community extended its full support to Altaf Hussain. However, instead of removing the discriminating policies, Muhajirs (Urdu speaking) were badly hit by Pakistani military establishment in the name of maintain peace in the city.    

The question is, when the Pakistani government and the law-enforcement agencies themselves have started playing the role of a hostile party against MQM and its people, who would provide justice to the victims? The persistent politically as well as ethnically based victimization of a certain party and community for last several decades would not help in marinating peace in the city, but would deteriorate the already worsening situation.