Restoring Peace Or Inciting People To Violence?

Now-a-days, MQM`s leader Qamar Mansoor is in the custody of Rangers on a remand  given by the court . Just few days ago, Rangers conducted a raid at MQM`s head quarter Nine Zero (90) again early morning just one day before Eid and arrested two MQM`s leaders (Kaif-ul-Warah, the in-charge of MQM Co-ordination Committee and Qamar Mansoor, a member of the same decision making body) under the charge of “arranging and facilitating hate speeches” http://tribune.com.pk/story/922417/rangers-raid-mqm-headquarters-nine-zero-again-take-leaders-into-custody/. 

The raid and arrest from Nine Zero was defended by the DG Rangers Bilal Akbar saying,“Those apprehended tonight from 90 have been arranging and facilitating hate speeches against peace of Karachi”

People know it very well that by the “hate speeches” Rangers mean the speeches of MQM`s founder Altaf Hussain in which he not only condemned the arrests, torture and custodial deaths of its workers by Rangers, but also appealed to the Pak army chief General Raheel Sharif to take notice of the same and remove the “bad eggs” from the Rangers. According to MQM, Altaf Hussain`s speeches were not against the peace of Karachi, but against those whose acts were inciting people to violence" 

Further, the entire Pakistan watched the news channel footage in which the Rangers personnel arrested Kaif-ul-Warah from 90 without his shirt. He put on his shirt while being taking to the Rangers` double cabin pickup (the same type of vehicle which was mostly used by plain dressed personnel to kidnap/arrest MQM`s workers most of which are either still missing or their dead bodies have been found from different  areas of the city). Question is, if a person, especially in-charge of a political party is humiliated this way and then, later on released, what sort of feelings would emerge in the hearts of his followers? More importantly, what is the credibility left in the DG Rangers` accusation against Kaif-ul-Warah after his release without being charged? 

Unfortunately, this is not a new thing at all. On 11th of March of this year when Rangers raided MQM`s head quarters, over one hundred workers and supporters including Amir Khan were arrested and taken away blindfolded like war prisoners. But, later on, most of them were released without booking them under any charges. Similarly, Noor Uddin Subhani, who used to work at Nine Zero`s mess as a cook, was presented as a target killer through the Pakistani news channels, he too was released considering innocent. 

On top of all, one MQM worker Waseem Dehalvi was extra-judicially killed by the police in the custody. Waseem along with his two other brothers was arrested under various charges including of having burnt the Baldia factory. However, after his custodial death, his other brothers were released immediately. One of so released brothers named Adil said to the journalists, “Until (Waseem) Dehlavi was alive, we were hardened criminals and were accused of being involved in the Baldia factory fire and other crimes. If they were right, why did they release us now?” (http://tribune.com.pk/story/897623/three-police-officials-suspended-over-mqm-workers-death/) Do all these facts not seem to be endorsing MQM`s stance that the on-going operation is not to restore peace in Karachi, but only to target MQM and Urdu speaking Community?

It is also on record that during the operation of 90`s, Qamar Mansoor was arrested, rather kidnapped along with one MQM`s female worker Raees Fatima. Since she had to apply for a visa to an embassy in Islamabad, she was going there with Qamar Mansoor by train. However, both of them went missing soon after the start of their journey. MQM doubted that the Pakistani agencies might have arrested them, but the government altogether denied that. While answering to a journalist`s question regarding the where about of especially MQM`s female worker, then Federal Interior Minister Nasir Ullah Khan Baber said, “MQM should put this question to the person (Qamar Mansoor) with whom she went” 

However, MQM kept raising this matter on all forums including the Parliament as well as the courts. Eventually, it was officially accepted before the court that both were in the custody of the Pakistani agencies. When they were released, Qamar Mansoor could not stand on his feet and thus was on wheel chair, while Raees Fatima was under shock due to metal and physical torture in the custody. This incident not only exposed the government` lie, but also proved enforced disappearances of MQM`s workers by the Pakistani law-enforcement agencies.

In fact, these are very few references of the victimization of MQM`s followers. Otherwise, they have been facing the same since 1992 when the first formal military operation was launched during over 15,000 people were killed just because they were either MQM`s workers or were ethnically Muhajirs and supporting MQM.

But, can such controversial actions really bring peace in Karachi? When logically no, what should be considered as a real threat to peace in the city? Victimizing a specific party and community by the law-enforcement agencies (LEA`s), or the victims` criticism to their heads over adopting such a policy??

In the scenario where Pakistan has already lost its bigger part (formerly East Pakistan and now Bangladesh) just because of the similar ethnic cleansing of Bengalis during the military operation launched by the Pakistani establishment, will it be wise enough to apply the same policy against MQM and Muhajirs in Karachi?

Pakistani civil and military establishments need to root out the “bed eggs” from within as their actions carried out in the name of restoring peace in Karachi are in fact inciting people to violence. 

Therefore, they should address the worsening situation and adopt necessary measures in order to end the long-prevailing victimization of MQM & Muhajirs and compensate the damages to them. Otherwise, the gradually increasing sense of isolation can easily take the country to another disaster like in 1971.