http://www.weeklypulse.org/pulse/article/4785.html
The incidents of target killing of political activists in the port city of Karachi last week were set to explode the fragile coalition of Pakistan People Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), but the crisis was temporarily averted by Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who dashed to the city after escalation of tension between the two parties following the target killings. The MQM blamed the killings on Lyari gangsters, while Rehman Malik pointed a finger at the land and drug mafias.
However, investigation conducted by Pulse reveals that the killings were primarily caused by fight for political control of city areas. The MQM wanted to regain its lost control over some areas of the city but it was facing a tough resistance not only from the PPP, but also from the Awami National Party (ANP), Sunni Tehrik (ST), Lyari Amman Committee, Mohajir Qaumi Movement and some other groups.
Investigation shows that target killings took place in the areas where the MQM indulged in controversies with its opponents. The people killed in the recent incidents of target killings were either the workers of MQM or its opponent parties. A committee has been formed in the Crisis Management Cell of Interior Ministry, which has been tasked with fining the causes for the target killings. The committee has sought from the political parties the lists of their political workers killed in target killings. All groups and parties blame the target killings on MQM.
The MQM was in full control of 13 towns of the city, which include New Karachi, North Nazimabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulberg, Liaquatabad Town, Saddar Town, Landhi, Korangi, Malir, Shah Faisal, Baldia, Jamshed, New Karachi and Site towns besides some areas of Lyari, Kemari and Bin Qasim towns. But, its grip first started withering over Site Town when ANP and other groups started challenging it. The MQM planned to gain foothold in Lyari, as it was well aware of the fact that if it gained ground there then it could easily control the areas of Kimari and Bin Qasim towns. The Lyari gangsters had considerable influence in these areas.
The recent target killings were sparked by the MQM attempt to gain foothold in Lyari, which was resisted by the Lyari Peace Committee that has the backing of local PPP leaders. This move of MQM backfired, as in retaliation the Lyari Peace Committee “trespassed” on the neighboring Saddar Town and tried to further its influence in those areas claimed by MQM as its strongholds. Surprisingly, the Lyari Peace Committee got the backing of Saddar Town locals that aggravated the situation.
This situation set the alarm bells ringing at MQM’s London Secretariat. The London-based leadership asked its local hierarchy to control the Lyari situation, which escalated the target killings. But the MQM opponents in other towns, where MQM says it has strong vote bank, started challenging it. Before the recent spate of target killings, the MQM was facing the PPP and ANP in Orangi Town and it was battling with the workers of these two parties.
The PPP was in full control of Bangla Bazaar area of Orangi Town that’s why some active workers of the party were target-killed. When the PPP came into power, the workers of PPP geared up their activities in the town. These activities of PPP workers sowed fear in MQM circles that if the PPP was not controlled in the town, then it might lose the town in the coming local bodies’ elections.
In 2009, many active workers of PPP Orangi were killed. On March 18, a very active local leader of PPP, Abdul Salam alias Salamo, was killed. Salamo was said to have expelled MQM from the areas, which were previously held by MQM for many years. On May 2009, two proactive worker of PPP, Pervaiz and Nadeem, were killed in Orangi Town while on June 4 another active PPP worker Riaz was killed in Mominabad area of Orangi Town. All the three were said to be affiliated with Salamo group of PPP. After their activities, the PPP was gaining ground in the areas, but their killings halted the process.
The PPP government kept mum over the killings of its workers in Orangi due to some political compulsions though the district leadership of PPP had identified the killers.
On the other hand, the ANP has been very active in Orangi, but its activities are confined to some Pashtoon-dominated areas. The target killings in Orangi indicate that MQM is not in a mood to allow any party to gain strength in its areas.
The MQM claimed that it has a strong support base in Baldia Town where both the PPP and ANP are gaining the ground. The PPP, ANP and MQM are involved in land grabbing and their fighting over state-owned and private land and subsequent killings of workers is often dubbed by these parties as target killings. A source privy to the developments told Pulse that on March 6, 2004 PPP worker Hanif, on August 12, 2009, PPP workers Zafar Shah and Majeed and on September 28, 2009 PPP worker Shaheen were targeted-killed in Saeedabad area of Baldia Town.
Political commentators are of the view that the MQM is faced with the Herculean task to get its nazim elected in the town in the next local bodies’ elections. In Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town, the MQM is also facing a tough challenge from the PPP, ANP and Sindh Taraqipasand Party led by Dr Qadir Magsi, while Jamaat-e-Islami is also a major political force in the town, as it had bagged five union councils in the last local bodies election despite record rigging by MQM.
In Gulistan-e-Jauhar, MQM’s fighting with PPP, ANP, STP and other groups is a routine matter. Theses parties are also involved in land grabbing in the area. There are reports that the ST was furthering its influence in New Karachi Town, while it had already considerable support in Garden, Kharadar, Baldia Town and Shah Faisal Colony. The Muhajir Qaumi Movement has focused on Landhi, Korangi, Shah Faisal and Malir towns emerging as potential thereat to MQM notwithstanding the continued police and law-enforcement agencies’ operation against it on the dictates of MQM and brutal killings of its workers allegedly by MQM during the Musharraf era.
Investigating agencies probing into the target killings have also sent their report to the federal government revealing that gaining political hold in each other’s areas was the actual cause of target killings and pointed a finger at the MQM.
