And you suggest that politics shud be left dirty as it is?
If a party wins elections it does not have a right to commit crimes and murder people. And this party is THE only party in Pakistani politics that thrives on bhattas, murders and extortion. They have gifted Karachi with bori-band dead bodies and torture cells.
When will you say that its enough? Instead of blaming the victims, you shud speak for the weak.
And what more it has done is to strenghthen the ethnic divide among Pakistani people and promote mob politics. Already in Quetta an office of MQM has been burned down.
Why would I say it is enough? it is the people of karachi who will say enough and not bring these thugs into power.
Why would I speak for the weak or against them for that matter?
My earlier posts/ comments were on the what happened in Karachi today and how I dont agree to your views. I am not legitimising MQM or any other political party. What happened today was wrong and Opposition is to be blamed for it. An action was taken against the CJ, the case is in courts, why is iftekhar chaudhry trying to become a political activist instead of facing allegations against him in courts?
I just think the longer Musharraf survives and rules, the worse it's getting for Pakistan. There maybe numerous parallel reasons. But, the divisions between the Pakistanis have never been so deeply rooted as they are rightnow. Whether, it's based on religion or ethnicity.
And please tell me who, in your view, is creating these divisions? How is Musharraf responsible for these divisions?
To be honest, I am shocked at this latest adventure of Musharraf's regime. I can think of Pakistani Army crushing and repressing its own on the behest of foreign interests and pressure.
And I think those actions were/ are in the interest of Pakistan. We cannot let political parites run amok and mass produce/ brainwash jihadists to fight their illegitimate fight.
But to stage such a dispicable act of thuggery through the MQM terrorists is beyond any comprehension. It only shows that Pakistani Armed forces have reduced themselves to none better than the petty organized gangsters, that will stoop to any degrading level to harrass and stay in power.
What happened today is dispicable, but in my opinion everyone is to blame, just pointing the blame squarely to the one you dont like is a simplistic view.
Proof that the government was ordered to let the MQM thugs do as they please. Do you think anyone would have been allowed to disrupt Musharraf's fake jalsa in Isloo?
Islamabad and karachi/ larkana/ gujrat/ waziristan are different. Give me reasons/ political gains for musharraf from today's violence please.
And please tell me who, in your view, is creating these divisions? How is Musharraf responsible for these divisions?
Let me ask you this first, how do you think Musharraf is not creating these divisions? It's clear from the events in Karachi that MQM staged the assaults openly on the behest of the Paki regime. Even, out of your blind fondness for Musharraf, if you choose to deny it, by all means. The entire world and media is blaming the "Party Backing the government" for most of the carnage. Your lame point just does not fly, at least not in the free world.
Easy. Musharraf wants to declare emergency or postpone elections by claiming that the CJP issue could trigger violence all over Pakistan. Shaukat Aziz has already hinted that. now he can claim that the popular outcry against Musharraf is basically a political tussle and only army can solve issue. Already that murderer Ishratul Ebad is calling for Army to be delpoyed in Khi. MQM had no rally needs. They control the region. All of a sudden they announced a rally after CJP’s supporters declared their rally. This is all clearly engineered. CJP’s Punjab visit and popular peaceful uprising has clearly shocked Musharraf. He is using his cards and MQM to counter that. At the cost of Pakistan’s future.
Islamabad and karachi/ larkana/ gujrat/ waziristan are different. Give me reasons/ political gains for musharraf from today's violence please.
Musharraf gained by not having to face the humiliation like he did when the CJ traveled to Lahore from ISB. Now, answer this how, Musharraf did not gain by today's events, instead of ranting conjecture
Talat Husein and Anwar Maqsood's strong association with MQM's propanganda machine GEO and being on their payroll, leaves their credence and any claim of objectivity to rest...They are all supporters of Altaf the ...so let leave their pathetic opinioin out of this discussion...
Let me ask you this first, how do you think Musharraf is not creating these divisions? .
Abdullah, what I see from your post above is that you had no reasons to back your statement and will now refute what I say. OK I will play. The reason I dont think he is causing divisions is because I have not heard so by any of my sources, heard or read Musharraf saying anything to cause divisions or read anything in the media to support that.
It's clear from the events in Karachi that MQM staged the assaults openly on the behest of the Paki regime. .
How is it clear? I want to understand that as well, not just listen to rhetoric.
Even, out of your blind fondness for Musharraf, if you choose to deny it, by all means. The entire world and media is blaming the "Party Backing the government" for most of the carnage. Your lame point just does not fly, at least not in the free world.
My fondness is not for Musharraf or any name, it is for Pakistan, once again kindly stop making assumptions on my behalf. MQM is backing Musharraf true, most people killed were non MQM, true. How does all this absolve opposition and chaudhry Iftekhar from the blame is what I do not understand.
MQM has more power than the opposition and yes when the violence/ fights broke out only a fool would hope that more MQM supporters get killed.
MQM's peaceful rally was so much peaceful that they stole most of private transport buses on gun point to transport their ghoondays to the rally...two of these buses were of my uncle's...I guess the establishment hacks and MQM ghoondays on this board are going to come back with justifying this by saying that oh it must be your uncle's fault to have buses running in Karachi, know that MQM runs the criminal show in Karachi...
Does Musharraf or any other “mutliq-ul-anaan” Army chief needs 30 deaths as reason to delay elections and/ or declare emergency? Does he need any reason? Come on people, all of you are smarter than that.
Does Musharraf or any other "mutliq-ul-anaan" Army chief needs 30 deaths as reason to delay elections and/ or declare emergency? Does he need any reason? Come on people, all of you are smarter than that.
Absolutely. Read Shaukat Aziz's statement. He said that we will consider emergency only if violence happens. You know that all dictators want the appearance of legitimacy. Did Musharraf need a referendum in 2002?
Musharraf gained by not having to face the humiliation like he did when the CJ traveled to Lahore from ISB. Now, answer this how, Musharraf did not gain by today's events, instead of ranting conjecture
:D, humiliation? A Pakistani army chief humiliated by a rally? come on Abdullah, you can surely do better than that.
The reason I think he didnt gain is because in Pakistan, an army chief does not need 30 deaths to impose emergency or Martial Law. Today's incidents are only a negative on Pakistans stabilty and political atmosphere. Imposing Martial Law or Emergency surely does not go in Musharraf's favor. Musharraf rants about a progressive and peaceful Pakistan under him, how does such riots or a martial law outcome of these riots give a more positive image of Musharraf is beyond me.
:D, humiliation? A Pakistani army chief humiliated by a rally? come on Abdullah, you can surely do better than that.
The reason I think he didnt gain is because in Pakistan, an army chief does not need 30 deaths to impose emergency or Martial Law. Today's incidents are only a negative on Pakistans stabilty and political atmosphere. Imposing Martial Law or Emergency surely does not go in Musharraf's favor. Musharraf rants about a progressive and peaceful Pakistan under him, how does such riots or a martial law outcome of these riots give a more positive image of Musharraf is beyond me.
Yes! this is how the media portrayed him being humiliated - and he's not ONLY an army general, but, also to the whole world, a uniform wearing dictator. So, infact his whole regime looked incredibly flimsy.
Now, haven't you felt that the more Musharraf tried to portrays Pakistan as "progressive" and "moderate" - whatever the f'ck that means; the more Pakistan has become labeled to be as extremist; bastion of Al-Qaeda training; source of inspiration to militancy in Britain. Seems like poor Mushy's debilitated efforts to balance Islam with moderation aren't working. Or maybe, he should just focus on the interest of Pakistanis and Muslims and stop being concerned too much about "image". Must be the divine curse..
(Can someone give me the history behind what happened today? I have not been following the Political news in Pakistan for sometime now and I thought it was peaceful but sounds like MQM and Altaf Hussain are at it again. Altaf Hussain is RAW agent and has been for past 20+ yrs and sitting in London getting fatter and owns so many properties there from the money he robbed from Pakistani banks)… What happened now?
By our correspondent
KARACHI: Thirty-four people were killed and more than 140 injured on Saturday when the commercial capital of Pakistan plunged into a spate of violence that observers said was eerily reminiscent of the gory days of the mid nineties.
The terrible violence also saw an attack on a private television channel, two petrol pumps being reduced to ashes and more than 30 vehicles being burnt across the city - the billowing black smoke adding to the dread and gloom that had taken over Karachi since Friday.
The mayhem coincided with the visit of Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who landed at the Karachi Airport at midday but was stopped by the authorities from coming out of its premises on account of the security situation. The chief justice left for Islamabad early evening without setting out of the airport.
The violence, which had started late Friday with the killing of two PML-N activists in Model Colony, Malir, by unknown gunmen, dramatically escalated as caravans of the opposition parties and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement came face to face on the Sharae Faisal on Saturday morning.
The fierce gunbattles, never witnessed earlier on the main artery of the city, the Sharae Faisal, were spontaneous, intense and horrific to the core, leaving little chance for the party activists to save their lives.
Rival activists fought pitched battles that observers had feared could result in a large number of fatalities. The most shocking incident took place in Malir near Sharae Faisal, when an Edhi Ambulance driver was shot dead along with an injured, who was being ferried to hospital. Following the incident, ambulances could not reach the affected areas with the result that many severely injured died on the roadside.
The main areas that saw fierce clashes between the rival groups were the Malir Halt, Baloch Colony Bridge and the FTC Bridge. Violent incidents were also reported from Shah Faisal Colony, PIA Colony, SITE, Sohrab Goth, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Aisha Bawani. The violence abruptly escalated after 1 p.m. Near the Wireless Gate, three activists of Muttahida Qaumi Movement were killed by unidentified men. Members of the PPP, the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Sunni Tehrik were also among the dead.
Of more than 140 injured was Zahoor Mehr, the Malir Bar Council President, who was coming to the airport to receive the CJ. At Drigh Road, Information Secretary of the Pakistan People’s Party Sherry Rehman was ambushed. She said that several party activists were injured in the firing, including her guard.
Four activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement sustained bullet wounds at Banaras Chowk. Wasey Jalil, the Nazim of Gulshan Town, was fired upon in Pehalwan Goth area. He escaped unhurt.
Naeem Qureshi, a spokesman for the Karachi Bar Association, said dozens of lawyers were hurt when they were attacked near the Sindh High Court. He blamed the MQM for the incident. Journalists, in particular, were affected as they took the challenge to cover and convey the gory picture to the people of the city and the world at large. Several reporters and cameramen barely survived volleys of bullets fired across the battlegrounds. Some of them were even challenged by gunmen who, mercifully, ignored them after learning their identity. However, the situation was not so pleasant for the staff of the Aaj Television, who faced an onslaught of bullets for more than five hours. Staff at the channel constantly appealed to the law-enforcement agencies and officials to bail them out but their requests were strangely ignored.
The violence soon spread from the city’s main artery to the nearby main train tracks and, as a result, the train service between Karachi and the rest of the country was suspended for over six hours. The Divisional Superintendent, Railways, Mir Mohammed Khaskheli, said that all out-bound and in-bound train services were suspended from 1200 hours till 1800 hours following firing incidents at Drigh Road, Malir and Landhi.
The National Highway was also closed to traffic. Not only that, the flight schedule was seriously disrupted with aircraft crew and passengers both unable to reach the airport. Similarly, passengers arriving from abroad and thru domestic flights could not reach their destinations and were stuck at the airport. A PIA spokesman confirmed the agony of the intending passengers and said that flights were being rescheduled.
Interior Minister, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, who recently escaped a suicide bomb attack, told a television channel that the federal government was in contact with the Sindh government over the law and order situation in Karachi. But he made it clear that it was the provincial government’s responsibility to provide security to the CJ.
The minister pointed out that it was Justice Chaudhry who had refused to avail the Sindh government’s offer for a helicopter so that he could be taken to the SHC. Opposition parties blamed the violence on the government and said that police and Rangers were either missing during the clashes or did nothing to stop them, a charge that many observers said bore substance.
Ms Naheed Khan, PPP MNA, in a press release issued from the Bilawal House, claimed that the PPP had lost more than a dozen activists while more than fifty were injured. She said when she was leading a procession near the Aisha Bawani School, the party activists came under attack from nearby flats and the FTC Bridge. She alleged when the injured were taken to the Jinnah Hospital, MQM activists opened fire.
The government, however, blamed Chaudhry for the violence. Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad said: “We had asked the chief justice not to come but he chose to and the violence started when he arrived. Now I have asked his lawyers to go back because they achieved what they wanted.” The stance was echoed by other MQM leaders, including Sindh Interior Minister Waseem Akhter.
Amidst the commotion, a branch of Allied Bank, located in Sindhi Muslim Society, was broken into and robbed. The situation in the city somewhat calmed down in the evening when the Rangers took over. However, observers are not sure if the sporadic violence will continue tomorrow and the day after following announcements by rival political parties to observe black day and a strike against the violence.
“I am a doctor. I work at a tertiary care, govt run, large and very well known hospital in khi. Forgive the short hnd style of typing here. I am, and hav been here at work for more than 32 hrs, and am surfing/typing on my cellphone. I rode with my ambulance drivers, was in the hastily set up emergency room in our lobby, attended multiple gunshot wounds victims etc. but nothing struck down my soul more than what 9 fully armed workers of MQM alongwith 2 sector office bearers did. They tried to drag out the wounded and dying body of a Sunni Tehrik worker (we later learnt he was sunni tehrik) for presumably finishing him off. Whn my junior residents said we could not allow that, they slapped my junior, dragged us both by our legs to the back of the gurney alley and with shotguns, pistols and ak-47’s in hand, ran in to our lobby presumably attempting to search whr the man in question was being treated. I ran out to the rangers and police a.s.i. some distance frm our front gate who when approached by myself said, and i quote ‘jaante ho inn logoun ko phir bhi kyon larta ho…hamain upar se order hai ke inn ko 4 baje tak karne do jo karna hai. 4 baje ke baad kuch dekhainge’. I recognized the sector office bearers of the MQM, bcoz I have made the mistake of voting for the MQM in the past. I called a friend in Bohrapir, who is related to Farooq Sattar. 5 mins later the sector charges recieved a call on their cell, and they left, one with a bandana threatening me with ‘naam dekh liya hai tera. Koi shor sharaba karne ki zururat nahi hai baad main warna samajh ja kya hoga’. He also took my junior residnts mobile fone saying ‘chikna set hai’. The guy they had come looking for had been shot one more time in the head. The o.t dress we had dressed him in 10 mins earlier was freshly bloody. I curse myself for all times i hav defended these people in discussions with friends. Bcoz i like many othrs made up my mind based on hearsay and wht familial and traditional biases i grew up with, without being exposed to their reality. Dont misunderstand me. The JI, JUP, pml, ppp, Sunni this and Shia tht, all othr parties may b infinitely worse. I m just saying tht all of us need to understand tht an argument should take place for one reason alone. To compel or b compelled. Whn we hav the logic and conviction to do the former or the sense and courage for the latter, we will stop seeing wht we witnessed in our city today.”
