Why Don`t We Have Any Other “Mini-Pakistan” In The Country?

A few days ago, I happened to see a banner from the KPK police containing some restrictions in respect of law & order there. As per the contents of the banner, there was a ban on the entry and movement of IDP`s (Internally Displaced People) in the city.

This took me back in 2008 when the internally displaced people of KPK and tribal areas were migrating towards Karachi due to the military operation there. That was the time when MQM, as the biggest stake holder of the city, urged the government to register the comers with the view that it would not only help to obstruct any Taliban terrorists trying to enter Karachi in the disguise of the IDP`s, but the statistics would also be useful  in the relief efforts. However, very unfortunately, the authorities concerned did not give an ear to the wise advice. Even the MQM`s political rivals (prominently JI, PTI, PML-N and ANP) not only strongly opposed the suggestion, but also accused MQM of trying to stop Pashtuns from entering into Karachi.

Recalling all that, does the KPK`s Police banner convey any positive message to IDP`s? If PTI and JI-led government defends it in the name of protecting people of Peshawar, then why was MQM maligned over merely demanding the IDP`s registration? Were these parties not concerned about the protection of Karachi-ites or, perhaps, deliberately wanted to deepen the ethnic divide between MQM and Pashtuns?

Like other parties, PPP not only ignored the MQM`s advice of IDP`s registration, but also made its contribution in giving ethnic color to a purely security issue as a result of which Karachi is considered as a safe haven of Taliban and other religious extremist groups by the world. In addition, it is on record that when PPP announced to hold a public gathering in Karachi near the Quaid`s mausoleum on October 18, 2014 (to which Asif Zardari and Bilawal Butto had to address), it took quite unusual strict measures in the name of security of its leaders. It conducted survey of each and every house and the families (mostly Urdu speaking) residing in the surrounding localities of the venue. Entry and exit points of the localities were sealed by the special police commandos as well as the PPP`s private guards, and no other person (including the guests) was allowed to enter even the residential areas. Shop and other businesses had already been ordered to be closed those days. It seemed as if the residents were living under a curfew.

Question is, when all these extra-ordinary measures could have been adopted by the PPP government to ensure the security of its leaders, why did it leave the people of Karachi at the risk of Taliban terrorists by avoiding the registration of IDP`s? On top of all, when merely a demand of IDP`s registration was termed as MQM`s prejudice or hatred for Pashtuns, what should making the Urdu speaking localities a hostage by PPP be called?

Similarly, before the beginning of Zarb-e-Azb in the tribal areas, when the IDP`s headed towards Punjab, they had to face different restrictions from the PML-N`s government over which the ANP`s leadership raised its voice. Afrasiyab Khattak (ANP leader)`s statement is on record in which he claimed that the Punjab government was refusing to issue birth certificates to the kids of (Pashtun) IDP`s born in Punjab.

Question is, why do all those political and religious parties which keep teaching the lessons of brotherhood and unity to MQM for accommodating people from other provinces terming Karachi a “mini-Pakistan”, ignore the same when it comes to their own political and ethnic holds? When having a multi-cultural or multi-ethnic city strengthens the national unity among different ethnic communities and consequently portrays the images of Islamic brotherhood, why don’t we see any other city/cities emerging as new “Mini-Pakistan” similar to Karachi in the rest of Islamic Republic of Pakistan?

Interestingly, Peshawar, Lahore, Quetta and Larkana are not being politically run by MQM (which is defamed as a racist, biased or a one-city party), but by the “main stream” or “national” parties, yet none of these cities has allowed to be administered by the people mostly from other provinces just like Karachi. From peons to the city administrators and from the private security guards to the law-enforcement agencies, all have been locally appointed/hired there unlike Karachi.

The reason is that all of them, being fully aware of the “benefits” of having a “Mini-Pakistan”, do not want to create the same mess in their own political and ethnic holds. In contrast to it, they support this in Karachi just because they do not have any political stake there. It is an open secret that PML-N is not in favor of South Punjab/Siraiki province; PPP is deadly against division of Sindh, PTI and ANP will not afford Hazara and FATA provinces, but all of them do want to ensure their political and ethnic presence and want the projected “share” in Karachi at any cost.

How prejudicial it looks that first the so-called “democratic” and “religious” parties as well as the “impartial analysts” backed the influx of people from all over the country to Karachi in the name of brotherhood, and now they maliciously claim that the (ethnic) demography of Karachi has changed and, as a result, it is not possible for MQM to make a clean sweep in elections like in the past. This clearly reveals the real reason behind painting Karachi as “Mini-Pakistan”. Such a biased mentality and the resulted filthy politics have badly damaged the harmony in the communities living here. 

Although the evilly hatched conspiracy of the establishment is, no doubt, helping to promote its patronized groups against MQM, but in fact, it is deepening the ethnic divide there that in turn is weakening Pakistan day by day.