Did You Hear What Karachi Spoke?

The apex committee chaired by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, has decided that the operation would continue in Karachi at all costs. In fact, this was the decision political analysts were eagerly waiting for as it was the answer to their biggest question, “Will the on-going Karachi operation get affected by the local body`s election results”?

The media-men kept raising this question following the results of local body`s election in which MQM once again appeared as the biggest political party of Karachi by securing over 65% of the union council seats. Logically, the 5 December`s election results had nothing to do with the law-enforcement`s operation as the upcoming city government would have no authority to anyhow politically influence it. Then, why did this question emerge?

As a matter of fact, the targeted operation, primarily aimed to be only against the criminal elements, mainly targeted MQM. Consequently, thousands of its workers were arrested, over 100 went missing after arrest and dozens were extra-judicially killed in the custody by the law-enforcement agencies. Not only its party offices, but also its headquarters were raided more than once for picking up the leaders & workers. The ban of telecasting Altaf Hussain (MQM chief)`s speech and even photo through the Pakistani media was also a part of the operation.

Although MQM raised all its grievances before the provincial and federal governments as well as the heads of law-enforcement agencies, but what it received from them was the incantation that “Karachi operation is not against any party or community, and would continue at any cost”. However, the exclusive actions following the direct and indirect accusations against the party as a whole by the Rangers obviously contradict the claim that the operation is not against MQM.

Frankly speaking, the Sindh Rangers now seem to have become a political rival of MQM. If, on one side, MQM calls attention to rapidly mounting annoyance of Karachi-ites` over seize & search operations, humiliation, arbitrary arrests, torture and custodial deaths, on the other hand, the Rangers officials completely deny it and claim to have got the people`s support to their each and every action.

The people`s celebrations on the 14<sup>th</sup> August (Pakistan`s independence day) and their shopping for Eid, were also referred to as an endorsement to the Rangers` claim about restoring peace in the city. Question is, if the people had not been satisfied with the current state of law & order, should they have not celebrated the independence day, or, not have shopped for their families for Eid?

Although these references were absolutely absurd in this context, but indicated that these were the Karachi-ites whose voice could have been counted the most regarding the operation.   

Taking into account all this, does the MQM`s landslide victory not discard the Rangers` stance about the success of Karachi operation? Should the people`s votes of confidence not be construed as an endorsement to the MQM`s position that the military establishment is trying to crush it instead of the terrorist and the radical groups? When the people`s customary acts (independence celebrations and Eid shopping) can be taken for a “Yes” to the Rangers, why should the people`s deliberate voting for MQM not be accepted as a big “No” to them?

Unfortunately, the Pakistani media-men tried to present the MQM`s mammoth victory in a different perspective. They claimed that MQM got the sympathy vote in the elections and thus defeated all of its rivals. Question is, if the Rangers-led operation did not exclusively target MQM, none of its worker was arrested, tortured, extra-judicially killed or became the victim of enforced disappearance by the police and rangers, then why the hell did people have sympathy for it? Why did people, especially the Urdu speaking people as a community, vote for MQM if they had not been humiliated and victimized (as MQM repeatedly pointed out) by the state authorities in the name of restoring peace?

This is not the first time people have expressed their confidence over MQM in any elections. History tells that the people of Karachi have been electing MQM as their representatives rejecting all the allegations leveled on it from the state authorities. However, instead of accepting its mistakes and taking actions against the racist elements in the institutions, the establishment launched a new operation with more force. The 7 December`s decision to continue Karachi operation made by the Prime Minister, Army chief, DG ISI, Corps Commander, DG Rangers, Chief Minister and Governor Sindh, is the latest example of the same.  The Apex Committee`s decision, just 24 hours after the local body`s election results, was a clear-cut message to the Karachi-ites that the establishment would not revisit its anti-MQM policies and, hence, they should be mentally ready for facing more ill-treatment in the days to come.

To tell the truth, it was the same racism towards the Bengali community from the military establishment which brought about the fall of Dhaka in 1971. Question is, would adopting the similarly hostile attitude against MQM and Muhajir community ever produce positive results? At least, I do not think so!