KARACHI NOT A ROMAN COLOSSEUM - DO NOT START THE SHOW AGAIN

We fully support the concerns recently expressed by the MQM leadership about the fears of new wave of crackdown on Mohajirs in Karachi. The entire government machinery had been busy in crackdown on MQM during the last decade. Past rulers, who belonged to feudal and ethnic clans, never brought serious charges in the regular courts against Mohajir leadership. Instead the rulers used inhuman methods of torture on the Muhajir political activists and general public among Karachi citizenry. This they did to please the ethnic population of non-Muhajir roots. Pakistan is overwhelmingly feudal/tribal society that is caught in hate-mongering, ethnic rivalries, religious intolerance and is basically illiterate. It suites the rulers to oppress a small community to please larger ethnic population and thus make masses happy. Pakistani rulers have used this scheme successfully and always got away. Nobody charged Assaf Nawaz Janjua, army chief and rulers including Naseer Ullah Baber, Benazir, Nawaz Sharif, Ch Shujaat for crimes they committed against humanity using state power against Mohajirs. All of them engaged in outright murders of Mohajirs in Karachi and urban Sind but nobody got caught. These leaders alongwith commanders of para-military forces high police officials all engaged in killing innocent Mohajirs.

Supreme Court and President of Pakistan , Farooq Leghari confirmed some 1800 deaths in state sponsored extra-judicial executions in Karachi during the second stint of Benazir regime and she was dismissed for that number one reason. But nobody brought any charges against Prime Minister Benazir and her interior minister Naseer Ullah Baber for mass murder of citizens. Instead the successor regime of Nawaz Sharif/Ch. Shujaat started genocide of the people of Karachi afresh. This helped them keep   people engaged in enjoying the "Roman colosseum Games of hunting slaves as tigers ripped them apart while people shouted with joy" . This easily diverts the attention of masses from the loot  of the rulers. Why among all shadowy characters the army government is chasing those who were being hunted during the last decade when they had no opportunity or access to the state resources and therefore are least likely to have engaged in official corruption. Most of those  who freely looted the resources and engaged in mass killings by way of extrajudicial execution are still free. Nawaz and his accomplices have been charged with endangering the life of CEO and fellow passengers but not in extra-judicial killings or massive loot Nawaz regime is infamous for.

This raises serious questions.

Is Karachi Mayhem to restart again?
Will the "Roman Colosseum" start the show again.
People are demanding meaningful accountability.
The bureaucracy corruption machinery that helped the past rulers in their loot schemes and murder sprees is still intact.
General saheb , be careful there are traps all around you. The corruption Mafia is very vengeful and treacherous and may drag you in the Karachi mayhem. Please do not let the corruption mafia start Karbla in Karachi afresh.If there are specific charges against MQM officials , file charges in court of law but at the same time do not solely rely on the same old bureaucracy that keeps the "Roman Colosseum open" for public entertainment. Please start transparent accountability against high official corruption and serious human rights violations first. People of Pakistan have great expectation from you. You are perceived as the awaited Messiah who will rid Pakistan of high official corruption and state sponsored atrocities. May God help You and Guide at every step.


Mutahir Kazmi
Chairman Pakistan Human Rights Watch, Chicago
(Division of Citizens' Human Rights Council USA)
Director Reform Movement, Washington DC