KARACHI, April 9: The Jamaat-i-Islami’s deputy chief and a prominent leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Prof Ghafoor Ahmad, has warned that if the pattern of governance in Karachi was not changed and allowed to remain hostage to a particular organization, the day was not far when not only the metropolitan but the entire country will be in the grip of anarchy.
Prof Ghafoor, who was flanked by Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, Nasrullah Shajji, Rafique Ahmad and Birjees Ahmad, was addressing a press conference at the party office on Sunday. On the occasion, he also released a 12-page white paper covering incidents of lawlessness, killings and plundering from Jan 2005 to March 2006.
Holding Gen Pervez Musharraf responsible for the situation due to, what he claimed, was his (Gen Musharraf) patronage of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, he demanded his resignation recalling that the chief minister himself had went on record that he had no powers to exercise in urban areas, which were enjoyed by the MQM.
After this statement of the chief minister, there was no point of making any demands from the provincial government, Prof Ghafoor said.
He said Karachi was the only city not, only in Pakistan but the entire world where killings, plundering and violence had state protection, as law enforcing personnel were assisting in breaking laws.
“In the name of development, all roads in the city were excavated resulting in worst traffic jams, making the life of citizens miserable. Settled townships were being razed, and instead of rehabilitating people, they were being made homeless.
He said the citizens of Karachi were under the grip of the worst feudal system where the educated class suffered from more worse conditions than the haris (peasants).
Prof Ghafoor expressed surprise over the fact that Gen Musharraf could summon the governor and the chief minister to Islamabad for reconciliation but had wilfully ignored the ongoing lawlessness and terrorism in the city.
He said that due to continuous lawlessness, trade, industry and business was being badly affected. It was unfortunate that terrorism incidents were being carried out in an organized manner in educational institutions where students, particularly IJT workers, were being targeted. Not only that, but cases were also then registered against the injured IJT students.
He said that in the killings, mostly those people were targets who were ex-members of the MQM, in addition to ulema and workers of the opposition parties, and police officers who were associated with investigations against the organization. But despite prominent personalities being among those killed, not a single killer had been arrested so far.
According to the white paper, during the year 2005, 676 persons were killed in the city including 37 political leaders and workers while 748 attempts were made. In the current year, from Jan to March 28, 97 people were killed including 16 political workers, brother and a sister by police firing, and six others, who were killed in a bomb blast outside the US Consulate in Karachi.
Likewise, during the period, 702 cases of disturbances were registered while 386 incidents of attacks on police personnel were recorded in which 13 police officers and jawans were killed while 45 were injured.
Out of 645 cases of kidnappings, 32 were kidnapping for ransom and 68 pertained to abduction of children.
In 3,823 incidents of dacoity and theft reported in the city, people were deprived of billions of rupees. Snatching of cellphone incidents were in addition, which according to an estimate, an average of 655 phones were snatched/stolen daily in the city.
The CPLC Report 2005 indicated that during 2005, 3,595 vehicles were either taken away at gunpoint or stolen while, in 11 months from Jan to Nov, while 5,232 motorcycles were either stolen or snatched.
Recalling reasons for the present situation, the white paper claimed that two decades back, the organization was provided an opportunity to emerge as a power in the city with the support of forces that remained instrumental in changing the world scenario.
The ruling elites also did not like to see the city emerging with its Islamic identity. As a result, citizens remained victims to harassment and fear from the last 20 years, which was the cause of unrest, and of psychological cases and increasing incidents of committing suicide.
Referring to the economic situation in the city, the white paper claimed that any trader finding the opportunity to shift to any other part of the country made his way along with his capital.
Employment was banned in the city but workers of the said organization were being recruited without any consideration for merit.
The white paper concluded by inviting all political forces to join hands on a one-point programme to get the city rid of the mafia, form resistance committees in mohallas to create a sense of security among people that they were not alone, and continue to strive to check poll-rigging.
