Watch Out! You Can Be Distracted!

As the local body`s elections are getting nearer, political and religious parties are devising their strategies especially for urban Sindh. In Hyderabad, almost all the prominent parties (from PML-N to JI) have already got together in order to bring joint candidates in the elections. In Karachi too, different alliances whether for the entire election or on seat-to-seat adjustments basis, are being formed. From political & religious parties to sectarian groups and from ethnic groups to even banned outfits, all are getting closer to each other to give tough time to their rival. And needless to mention, their biggest and common rival in Karachi and Hyderabad is MQM. 

Anyway, all are making big claims to resolve the problems of people after being successful in the local body’s elections. However, the fact is that the real issue of the people of urban Sindh is the discrimination and the consequent injustice done by the political and military establishments against them. And the problems that people have been facing for decades (like lawlessness, unemployment, load shedding, water and sewerage etc) are the results of the same. 

Although MQM struggled against it and give unmatched sacrifices for the purpose, but no other party supported it. Instead, they played extremely hostile role against it. Jamat-e-Islami (JI) has been the oldest and the biggest opponent of MQM in the Karachi`s politics. 

It, from the beginning, kept on bashing MQM over speaking for the rights of Muhajirs. It blamed that using the word “Muhajir” as identity was against the teachings of Islam. In the support, it also quoted some verses from the holly Quran as well as Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (saws).

However, Jamat-e-Islami did not ever hesitate to keep friendly relationship and even to make political alliances with the Sindhi nationalists, Liyari gangsters, Haqiqi (which was against opening the MQM`s doors for other ethnic communities) and sectarian groups in the elections.

Furthermore, the JI leadership frequently used the word “Pashtuns” as identity for the people killed in the US drone attacks or in the army operation in tribal areas. (Perhaps, as per JI`s interpretation, the words “Pashtun”, “Sindhi”, ”Balochi”, “Punjabi” and “Kashmiri” were not prohibited in Islam unlike the term “Muhajir”) .   

Jamat-e-Islami always adopted anti-MQM (anti-Karachi) stances whenever it was time to come on one page over an issue for the rights of people. When PPP`s government ended the journey of development by wrapping up the Pervez Musharaf`s City Government system, none of the parties (which keep claiming to own Karachi and Hyderabad) raised its voice over it except MQM.

Similarly, when MQM despite so many reservations, agreed to the PPP`s drafted new local body`s (Sindh People`s Local Body`s) Act with the intention to provide some relief to the people, all the parties including JI, PTI, ANP and PML-N not only strongly opposed it calling it discriminatory, but also violently protested along with the Sindhi nationalists.

Logically, the Act could not be discriminatory as it was mutually agreed by both the parties representing rural and urban Sindh. That was why not a single discriminating clause could be referred to as a proof by the rivals. 

Anyway, as a result of the pressure from the Sindhi nationalists, PPP rolled the SPLB Act back too which added to the miseries of people especially in Karachi and Hyderabad. By adopting a hostile attitude over the said Act, JI and PTI not only created hurdles in resolving people`s issues, but also deliberately deepened the ethnic divide between Sindhis and Muhajirs,

For instance, if it was their principle stand against a so-called inequitable law (SPLB Act) in Sindh and that was why they came out on roads, then why the hell did they not show such a reaction over so many discriminatory laws and decisions especially including the enforcement of Quota system and its several times extensions??

It is also on record that when the Taliban extremists were being targeted through the US drones and in army operations, the leadership of Jamat-e-Islami not only bashed the Pak army, but also termed the killed terrorists as “Shaheed” (martyrs). 

In contrast to it, when the lawlessness was imposed on the Karachi-ites in the name of army and Rangers operations in the 90`s (which turned out to be the genocide of Urdu speaking community), it was the same JI which not only fully supported the operations, but also justified the killings terming as “the consequence of their own ill-deeds”. That was, no doubt, the height of hatred by JI for Muhajirs. 

JUI-F`s leader Moulana Fazal-ur-Rehman too, like JI`s Munawwar Hassan, termed the killed Taliban as martyrs. He went too far while expressing his soft feelings for the religious terrorists saying, “Even if a dog is killed by US, he would also be called Shaheed”. However, he never ever uttered a single word of condemnation or sympathy over the mass killings of Muhajirs in the disguise of operations in Karachi. This shows the value of Urdu speaking people before these so-called religious leaders. 

Like other right wing leaders, PTI`s Imran Khan too has been extremely against military operations in tribal areas. He repeatedly criticized any kind of actions against Taliban groups saying nowhere in the world army of a country kills its own people. In this respect, he also urged the state authorities to humbly consider the reasons why the Taliban groups picked up the weapons in their hands. 

However, quite opposite to his “principle stand”, Imran Khan always demanded a brutal operation in Karachi. Perhaps, as per his vision, it was logical for a state`s army and Rangers to kill their own people only in Karachi and that there was no need to take into account their long-prevailing grievances humbly before taking any action against them.

In the same way, PTI leadership demanded and supported new administrative units/provinces all over the country for devolution of powers and authorities.

But, at the same time, PTI made it very clear that it would strongly oppose such a thing for Karachi-ites.
Keeping in view the enmity, hatred and prejudice of all these political and religious parties for Karachi and Hyderabad, do they deserve the votes of the people living here? How can the parties, which themselves created problems for the residents of urban Sindh, be sincerity towards resolving them? No, not at all!