Sunday, May 23, 2010

Karachi - identify problems, solutions can be found!

Karachi has taken an influx of 10,000 people a day for decades... but can it for ever? This is a subject I do not want to write about because I hate racism, regionalism and favouritism. We must like or dislike on merit not any other consideration. For me all are Muslims and hence no problem. But it hurts when I see so much of killing. They are all my brothers.

In chess they say observers game is at the top. Similarly when things seem too complicated lets move back a bit climb a hillock and take a distant, detached and a dispassionate look. Then we have to look closely as well so that we do not miss important details.
Karachi is experiencing an influx of people at the rate of a minimum 10,000 people a day for a few decades now, as they say. Can any city take this beating and allow for urbanisation of this magnitude? It just does not have the resources to feed them nor does it have housing, water, sewage and road network. When you tax a city well beyond its limits, problems are bound to occur.
Where are these people coming from? From areas that are most ackward for whatever reasons. And they come with their own mindset of backwardness and lawlessness. They have made their own areas - "no go areas" "Ilaqa Ghair". No body can go in their so no investment can come nor development take place. The result is joblessness. People have to move out naturally.
They do not go to nearby Lahore or Islamabad but over a thousand mile away to Karachi. When such large influx takes place in an area, a friction with locals is not out of the ordinary. It is not unexpected. One solution is to develop those areas from where there is an exodus of people so that influx elsewhere stops. Otherwise Karachi will burst at the seams which it seems to be the case now.
Employment opportunities must be created in other provinces so that people get jobs in their own provinces and there is neither exodus nor influx in any area.
I have been hearing on television all leaders of ANP openly blaming MQM for every thing. This should not happen. No names should be taken lest you create divisions among people who are otherwise living peacefully with each other. They are dependent on each other.
I have heard ANP leader Mr. Shahi Syed on YouTube speaking to a gathering of hundreds of thousands of Pakhtoons and openly giving hate speeches and exhorting people for violence. He is dividing people. Creating hatred. He is not yet arrested. Such people should not enjoy the leadership of the followers of the non-violent Badshah Khan (Pacha Khan). Watch and Listen:
He hurls abuses and exhorts people to hit their neighbors. See how venomous it is and look at the applause on demeaning the compatriots. Amazing. See how the lady is openly threatening of bloodshed. This is no way of co-existing in peace having come from so far.
Claims that weapons is their jewelery. No respect for law, that is Shahi Syed.
They say Punjab is for Punjabis, Sindh for Sindhis, Baluchistan for Baluchis, NWFP for Pakhtoons but Karachi is for all. May I ask if Pakistan is not for all? He openly attacks co-citizens on the basis of racism. You don't share the city where you have chosen to come and live from a far with so much hatred in your hearts. This video is just a small example. Aa you can see on the video they are all armed to the teeth.
I have chosen to write openly on this despicable subject as anchors, guests and callers get away without naming those who exhort people to violence by preaching hatred. Preach love, affection, fraternity and patriotism, not nepotism, regionalism, racism and hatred. It is high time we called a spade a spade. It is not enough to call them the land mafia or the drug mafia. All residents of Karachi whether they are Pashtu, Sindhi or Urdu speaking are all Pakistanis and no one has more rights over others. All have a right to a peaceful co-existence. We are all the very same people, little differences should not matter. They are natural. Allah made this world this way. Who are we to defy Allah.
Media should not allow any one to come on TV and openly accuse and blame others thereby inflaming passions. We are supposed to show restraint and not air divisive views. I give credit to MQM guys they are at least shy to show racism by not naming Pakhtoons and refer to them as land mafia and drug mafia etc. But I am sorry to note people of some in the ANP have no qualms about spreading hatred and don't even put a facade of fraternity on them.
We should first think ourselves as Muslims. We are the same Ummah of our beloved prophet Mohammed, may peace be on him. We are all one. We are all Pakistanis. Once we do that there are no differences. We all have problems and all want a better life. Let us rise above petty things and think like one big community. One of the two nations of "The Two Nation Theory". Let us not forget that otherwise we degenerate into small tribes to swallowed by enemy nations.
Karachi is bursting at the seams! Stop urbanisation. Develop villages. Think big. Have a big heart. Make forgiveness your creed.

21 comments:

Ali Khan said...

Excellent. At last there is some one who is speaking the truth. I am Pakhtoon and I want to live in peace with my neighbors. There is nothing wrong with the people. It is our leadership that is making things bad by tell people to be violent.

Azam K. Afridi said...

Yes we come from far. We will earn and go back.That is what we thought. But our leaders don't allow us to go back. They want MPA and MNA seats by our votes. Send us back home. We belong in NWFP not in Karachi. After all there are more Pathans in Karachi than they are in Peshawar. They always openly speak against Urdu speaking. At least Urdu Speaking do not openly blame Pakhtoons in meetings and TV. We have no problem with them. People like Shahi Syed must be arrested, tried for spreading hatred and put in jail for ever.

Syed B. said...

It is high time government got serious. They must take the responsibility. They must have zero tolerance for Lawlessness, Corruption and maximum tolerance for Religious differences. The onus is on the government. If they cannot give security to the people they must go. Why is the home minister warming the seat and enjoying the perks of governance if they cannot govern.

Brig. Safdar said...

This is really thinking out of the box. Truely. Blaming Urdu speaking or blaming the pathans is useless. It is a good idea to get to the root of the problem and that is employment opportunity which is absent in North Pakistan. But as some body rightly wrote in comments that the politicians are trying to take advantage of their numbers to gains seats in Assemblies and get political mileage. Nothing else. Between people to people there is no problem.

Chandeo said...

I think the government should stop all racial profiling in all media. They (media) should not name a person or a group or a party for killing as they are doing now. This creates more bad blood. More problems. The intentions are very clear of uneducated people like Shahi Syed that they want more polarization, so that people hate each other and they get votes on basis or racism. It is shameful. What do they care if people die? When they hate the locals so much what right do they have to live in Karachi? Let them all go to K Pakhtoonkhwa now that they have named a province on racism. Sindh is on river Indus, Baluchistan based on geography, Punjab also based on geography. This is the only province named on a race. What a shame.

Samandar Khan said...

MQM are no farishta. They are fully armed now. They should give up their weapons for peace of Karachi. We should also not use weapons althogh we must keep it because hathiya hamara zevar hai. We make weapons too so what shall we do with them. These Urdu speaking should learn to behave otherwise we take action as Shaziya has already challenged in her speech.

Unknown said...

@Samandar Khan. You remind me of what Ghulam Sarwar Awan of Punjabi Pakhtoon Ittehad once said, "Punjabies and Pathans have a right to bear arms because arms are their jewelery (zewar). However Muhajirs and Sindhies have no tradition of arms, and if they bear arms, they are terrorists".

By the same logic, murder of Sindhies and Muhajirs was a tradition of bravery, but the reaction was "terrorism". As long as one side would be proud to use their "Jewelery", it will see more and more "terrorists" on the other side.

Justifying the action, and blaming it on reaction never works.

Deeply Concerned. said...

Some months back when Muthahida guys 89 of them were killed by target killing every thing was hunky dory. Then no body cried nor did any one show restraint. Why didn't they then cry? Because some body else was dying. You should feel for any one who dies. If somebody else dies it is ok for you. That is not good. The media, politicians and critics should have stood up then too. You hear gun shots in Karachi they say with ease it is the land mafia. Who is the land mafia? Pahans. Who is the "aghwa bara e Tawan" mafia? Pathans. You name a violent crime, who is involved the Pathan. Who get caught smuggling weapons to Karachi all the way from Pakhtoonkhwa? Pathans. How much? Where will this end? When will this end? Who are these people who have no stake in the city? They do these waridath and run away to their areas. They have made huge areas all Ilaqa Ghair within Karachi. Why? Why should not law take it's course in those areas. Police is afraid to go there. Rangers are not allowed to go there. Army doesn't. Why are these people protected? Until with all integrity you address these issues how will peace come to our beautiful city of lights?

Atheeq said...

Don't forget when Bibi died how the ANP Pathans took advantage of and burnt cars and looted with gay abandon. It was free for all. Why do the forget December 27. They talk of May 12 when people from both sides die. The way media is accusing one party is just not right. Yes and this non-sense of Karachi for all what is this. As the author wrote is not Pakistan for all? Have some patriotism.

Qazi Obaid said...

I believe Karachi is mini Pakistan and it can and has absorb all kind and cast of people either it was Mahajirs at the time of Partition, or panjabi or pakthoon or pathan for working class or sindhis for an additional place to live

Karachi is a business hub either industrial or service, looking at the class of workers we need every kind of people. Mazdoor and hard worker is always a pathan, mahajir don’t do that and so on.

I still believe every citizen of Pakistan have equal right on Karachi

Qazi Obaid said...

As far as killing in Karachi is concern, I blame every political party starting from MQM, to ANP to PPP

Initially MQM said it’s a fight between Hazara and ANP but Hazara leader disown any link and also was not interested in meeting organized by CM Sindh

Secondly, in talk shows both the leader of MQM and ANP blame, atleast they have something in common, third force and when anchor ask them to name the third force the fail … avoided….. or rather there isn’t any ?

By the way MQM have left their status of and so the cause Mahajir, so now they cant name and blame any other on the basis of racism

Finally, the most anti Pakistan element is the media….. it does not belong to Pakistan and trying every effort to destabilize Pakistan

Jamshed Wasti said...

Indeed every Pakistani has a right on Karachi who is denying that. At the same time as per constitution every Pakistani has a right on all of Pakistan. I challenge any body who is not a Pathan or a Baloch or a Punjabi to go to Peshawar and drive a taxi. He will be killed the same day or the next. Killing is no problem with a Pathan. "Hathiyar zevar hai". Junglee log. Try to open a shop there. You can't. So the right is denied to other Pakistanis to claim whole of Pakistan. Particularly an Urdu speaking cannot do anything any where except in Karachi and only in some areas. There is so much of discrimination and thaassub. Why when we are all one and have equal rights. Karachi is for all so is Pakistan for all. For God's sake develop their areas so that they do not concentrate on one place and create socio, economic, political problems. Karachi for all and Pakistan for all.

Wattoo said...

Thinker clearly defined the solution as economic and lack of development is most parts of the country and it so accurate.

Unfortunately that was turned into a political problem. Karachi belongs to all just as the entire Pakistan belongs to all.

But if you get into such stupid arguments you will loose track of the larger picture and problem and Karachi will go into hands of those that will make Karachi also an Ilaqa Ghair like their own where they come from. One has to understand it.

No sane person in his wildest imagination can deny that Urbanisation is bad and that it should stop. That can only happen when you develop villages as the Mr. Thinker has written it in his article and I fully support it.

Large movements of populations within the country creates tensions. Why do people move? Either for ideological reasons or economic. Here it is economic. For ideological reasons there is another problem - terrorism. Otherwise no body wants to leave home.

If 6 million Pathans have left home means there was some problem there. Something drastically wrong. It was lawlessness, bad governance, overlordism, no development etc. etc.

Gives them no right to go somewhere else (Karachi) and create problems for people living where they are going to (Karachi). And they go with their zevar - arms and automatic guns and start killing and kidnapping as a side business.

Unknown said...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/22/world/asia/22karachi.html

S.B said...

Killings must stop and provocation must stop. Increase tolerance.

shahidkhan-jeddah said...

zabardust, whole pakistan is burning due to political polarization,alot of groups are there who are representing small qtys of communities they should realise the problems and bring the solutions and government who belongs to any party, should solve the problem as its his own and his own areas problem then it will be solve easily, problem is problem, its not belongs to panjabi, pathan,or mohajir or baluchi or sindi's problems. But if our poor/innocent people and media just promoting these lier,non-loyal MNAs/PMAs specially in the wifaaq, They dont have any botheration for Azabay qabr,Everyday they appearing with the anchors on tv talk show with different suites but what they are talking , all rabish and useless,
people need have their fundamental rights,,, water, electricity,tax free materila, govt should provide subsidies on daily uses materials for the benefits of people. Accountablity should be fare, respoect the supreme court virdict and obey the law and order. if not Pakistan needs a clean up operation to become a newly born pakistan.Pakistan neeed fresh leadership who can run the country without any "Remote controller" or without any "Dictations".Allah blees on Pakistan and Longliv pakistan. Pakistan hay toa hum subb ki izzat hayy, warna you can see as an example "Falistine people"###

Sohaib Q said...

Another great post by the thinker.
btw, i do not agree with samandar khan at all.. hathiyar hamara zevar??? Keep saying that and all we will have is an even more divided Pakistan!
May God save this nation
"And hold fast to the rope of Allah and be not divided"(Quran 3:103)

Afthab Baloch said...

It is high time the govrnment take action. Mr. Thinker is writing after a long time. Where have you been Sir? Again some good ideas. You are right the relationships should be based on brotherhood not hatred of each other. So long as we do not step on others rights the problem will not come. I think ANP should do its politics in K Pahktoonkhwa and not be a thorn for Pthans working in Karachi. This land mafia and drug who comes from so far away must be sent back home.

Unknown said...

@Aftab Baloch. We need to end generalization. There are different types of Pathan in Karachi for different reason. First are the Tarbela effectees who did not come to Karachi on their own will, but dumped in Karachi without compensation. Then Gohar Ayub started a fire between Pathan and Muhajirs to divert Pathan's attention away from their claims for compensation, and also to teach Muhajirs a lesson for opposing his father, dictator Ayub.

Then there are Pathans who are here because Karachi needs them. Builders, guards, laborers etc. If they send money home, and are burried there after death, we should still have no problem as long as they do not killing civilians with their uncontrolled driving.

The only problem comes from the Land Mafia, Drug Mafia, The Kharkaars, the Gun Runners, and all professional criminals who seems to carry their business under the political portection mafia of Mr. Shahi Syed.

S.B. said...

@ Hassan. Very nicely put. Even Mr. Baloch had a good point of view. In any case the miscreants and the criminal elements must be weeded out. If we do not do that then we are making Karachi another Ilaqa Ghair which guys like Shahi Syed who openly promote hatred would love it. Lawlessness helps them. That should never happen. If Karachi goes so does Pakistan and without Pakistan we are nothing. A lot rests on the existence of Pakistan. So we should all protect it by our words and deeds.

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