Violence should never be used for political gains. PPP tried it in Lyari but its own activists are now saying what it has done to Lyari.
This should be a wake up call for those who yearn for inflicting massacre on Urdu speakers. If they do it then such a violence will also come around 180 deg to haunt them.
**People have been blaming MQM for violence in the city, but now even PPP’s own activists are coming out to say who the real perpetrators of violence are.
**
Friday, August 19, 2011
PPP has handed Lyari over to criminals, say activists
Activists in Lyari have blamed the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for the violence that has claimed the lives of several residents from the area, with some even going as far as saying that the ruling party has sidelined elected legislators and handed over the locality to criminals. As a result, residents who survive on daily wages live in constant fear and are afraid to step out of their homes.
The activists lashed out at the party on Thursday and said it had forced the youth to become fuel for the fire being spread by criminals. “We have supported them for the last 43 years and sacrificed a lot to bring them to power,” said a dejected activist, who was reluctant to be named.
“Now it is too late. The PPP is losing ground,” said one of the activists. They believed that political leaders should not have been cornered in this manner as they can play a vital role in restoring peace by taking community leaders into confidence. They added that those in power were incapable of addressing the situation.
In the wake of the gang war that has claimed dozens of lives, an air of gloom has surrounded the once vibrant area as parents are mourning the loss of their children or shattered families are praying for the safe return of loved ones. Due to the lawlessness, workers living in the area, comprising mainly youths that survive on daily wages are unable to earn a living as the elders of their family prefer to keep them at home for security reasons.
Many of these youngsters are the sole bread earners of their families and people from the neighbourhood fear that if these individuals are not allowed to reach their place of work, it could spell troubled times for several families in Lyari.
“Lyari is a neighbourhood that contributes towards the workforce at city ports, markets, factories, the harbour and the construction industry. Since most of the labourers earn daily wages, reaching the workplace is essential in order to put food on the table for the rest of the family. However, the volatile security situation has compelled many of them to stay home and thus hampered their ability to earn money,” said a social activist from the area. He urged human rights activists and politicians to take notice of the increasingly unstable security situation.
The Karachi Fish Harbour was also directly affected by the gang-related violence as hundreds of workers involved in offloading seafood could not reach their workplaces. Those who dared to venture out also returned home, fearing for their lives. Local activists said that several youngsters chose to stay indoors instead of putting their lives at risk.
Over the years, people from various ethnic backgrounds have peacefully coexisted in the once vibrant neighbourhood of Lyari. But the violence has forced most of them to consider moving out of safer areas. But the gang war is not only limited to Lyari and other old city areas such as Golimar, Mauripur and Mowach Goth have also been affected.
Reports surfaced of people grabbing passengers out of buses and beating them for their alleged support for criminals. One of the more horrifying incidents reported was the murder of five youngsters who had stepped out for some shopping. The bodies of the victims were then handed over to their parents as a ‘gift’. A senior activist warned that the violence could spread to the entire city and prove disastrous for people from all walks of life.