Of Martial Law & Military Courts in Karachi and Punjab.

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain demanded Tuesday that the administration of Karachi should be handed over to army personnel, DawnNews reported. In a statement issued from London, Hussain said the situation of Karachi was worsening day by day and prime minister Nawaz Sharif should hand over responsibilities of the city to army personnel. Hussain said the Sindh government, which was led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), had failed to provide protection to residents of Karach’s Lyari neighbourhood despite the fact that the area was steeped in violence and gang-wars and several people had died due to terrorist attacks. Earlier this month, Pakistan's president-elect Mamnoon Hussain indicated in a TV program that the army’s assistance could be sought for restoration of peace in Karachi. Mamnoon moreover said if MQM was a patriotic party, it would not have objections to seeking army persons for provision of security in Sindh’s metropolis. The president was of the view that extreme measures would have to be adopted in order for peace to prevail in Karachi. Karachi is home to multiple conflicts that frequently turn violent, including gang wars, ethnic and political rivalries. Militants are said to use the city as a hiding place and a source of funds obtained through bank heists, extortion and kidnapping for ransom. Moreover, political parties have increasingly started using the city as a battleground for their conflicting interests. REFERENCE: MQM chief demands handing over Karachi to army 2013-08-27 11:38:40 http://dawn.com/news/1038700/mqm-chief-demands-handing-over-karachi-to-army

Nawaz Sharif on Military Courts in Karachi & MQM

 

Nawaz Sharif on Military Courts in Karachi & MQM by SalimJanMazari

KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif on Monday declared his party would again establish military courts in Sindh if voted to power in the next general election. Mr Sharif was speaking at the party’s Sindh Council meeting in a hotel. “If our government comes to power, it will ensure provision of electricity to each and every village and will set up military courts to eliminate dacoit rule in the province,” he said. It was during the second tenure of the PML government (1997 to 1999) that military courts were set up in Sindh for cases related to terrorism, violence and dacoity. Apart from uncontrolled robberies in the interior of Sindh, Karachi went through unprecedented violence during the period. A military operation had also been carried out in the city to bring the situation under control. The Supreme Court ordered abolition of the military courts after one of them awarded capital punishment to an accused in a murder case. REFERENCE: Nawaz says he will again set up military courts in Sindh BY HABIB KHAN GHORI 2012-01-03 02:25:52 http://beta.dawn.com/news/685206/musharrafs-team-being-fostered-in-new-cantonment-nawaz

Altaf Hussain Q&A Interview with PJ Mir - 1 (ARY)

 

Altaf Hussain Q&A Interview with PJ Mir - 1 (ARY) by SalimJanMazari

Altaf Hussain Q&A Interview with PJ Mir - 2 (ARY)

 

Altaf Hussain Q&A Interview with PJ Mir - 2 (ARY) by SalimJanMazari

Altaf calls for martial law in Punjab: KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain said on Monday that martial law should be imposed in Punjab since crimes against women and kidnappings for ransom were rife in the province. He appealed to the people and students of Punjab to support his party`s demand. “Those who impose martial law every now and then, why are they not coming forward to end the curse of extortion, killings and other crimes,” he wondered. Speaking from London to the reinstated employees of KESC at Nine Zero, the MQM headquarters, Mr Hussain said a “revolution is unavoidable” and expressed the hope that generals and judges would not support feudal lords and capitalists, but the vast majority. He appealed to the military and the judiciary to support people if they tried to usher in a change reminiscent of the French revolution. The MQM chief said if necessary, he would return to the country to make it truly independent and self-reliant and provide better living condition to people. “If the military or the judiciary tries to obstruct my way, I will not bow before them and stand by the people.” He urged the nation to support the MQM against criminals, saying that people were fed up with kidnappings for ransom, extortion and other crimes. “If the armed forces do not act now, they would also be put in the dock in case of a revolution by people,” Mr Hussain said. He accused the Punjab government of having failed to curb criminal and terrorist activities and improve the law and order situation. The MQM chief urged the president and the prime minister to eliminate terrorists and militants from the country with the help of the army and law-enforcement agencies. He said the MQM did not believe in ethnicity and stood for the rights of all oppressed people. He warned against privatising national assets for the benefit of a few. He said the armed forces were the most powerful institution and the judiciary was independent, yet the political leadership was confined to a few powerful families. “These families take loans and get them written off and build their empire in foreign lands. “On the other hand, the country is being forced to beg from the IMF and the World Bank and compromise its honour and independence.” Mr Hussain congratulated the KESC employees and said he had always stressed that workers should be reinstated because their well-being was vital to security, progress and salvation of the country. He urged the KESC management to also reinstate 216 employees from the interior of Sindh. REFERENCE: Altaf calls for martial law in Punjab 2011-01-24 21:31:10 http://beta.dawn.com/news/601294/altaf-calls-for-martial-law-in-punjab-2

MQM and its self-exiled leader Altaf Hussain have invited the wrath of most political parties for demanding Karachi be handed over to the army to deal with the deteriorating law and order situation of the city. Ostensibly, the demand, which was voiced by Dr Farooq Sattar in the National Assembly, has been triggered by continuing target killings and clashes between, it is assumed, the returning Kachhi community IDPs who have recently returned to their homes in Lyari and elements of the now banned People’s Amn (Peace) Committee. Although Dr Sattar based his demand on the provisions of Article 245 of the constitution, which envisages calling the army in aid of civil power (by the government of the day), his startling statement has evoked bitter resentment and criticism by the PPP and PML-N, muted criticism and the question being raised of how the situation has come to this pass by the PTI, condemnation by the Jamaat-i-Islami and most sensible people in the entire country. Surprisingly, the ANP, which was approached by the MQM to persuade the ruling party in Sindh, the PPP, supported the demand, at least if its Sindh leadership’s response is to be taken as the party’s policy. Interestingly, the MQM wants an ‘indiscriminate’ operation against criminal and other elements disturbing the peace of the city. Interesting because the MQM stands charged with being the originator of what has now become commonplace in Karachi: political parties all have armed wings, some of those parties (including the MQM) are accused of being behind extortion activities, criminal gangs have for some time been emulating extortion, leading to turf wars, and the general disturbed conditions in the city have encouraged mugging and kidnapping on an unprecedented scale. Dead bodies strew the streets of Karachi on a daily basis and hardly a day goes by without the news of fresh bloodshed. While it may be conceded for the sake of argument that it is these conditions that have resurrected the time-worn formula of relying on the army as the ultimate solution for all problems, wisdom gleaned from the track record and history would seem to suggest that this is nothing if not illusion. It is doubly surprising that a party (MQM) that never tires of reminding us of its ‘victimisation’ during the 1992 army operation in Karachi (Altaf Hussain having fled into exile in anticipation six months earlier) should now contemplate going back to inviting the army in for an ‘indiscriminate’ operation (that could, if allowed, envelope the MQM in its fold too). The ‘desperation’ inherent in the MQM’s call deserves thought. It is ironic that the MQM should only have woken up to the horrible conditions in Karachi after it is no longer in the government. For the past five years, it was a coalition partner of the PPP in the Sindh government. Did that period see an improvement or deterioration in the law and order situation in the city? First and foremost, the MQM should carry out some self-accountability and explain to the suffering people of Karachi what, if anything, it did to improve law and order while in power. The fact of the matter is that the previous government’s tenure saw Karachi slide further and further into chaos, with the police and Rangers unable to make a dent (despite their spirited defence now by Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon). The police and Rangers, whatever their limitations and weaknesses (and they are legion), are also hampered by the fact that political patronage of criminal law breakers sees arrested miscreants released through political intervention from on high. As if this was not bad enough, the myriad law breakers arrested by the law enforcers usually get bail or even acquittal from the courts because of the flawed prosecution and judicial system. Unless law enforcement is freed of political interference and the judicial system is vamped up to be able to put law breakers away irrespective of their clout, etc, there can be little hope of improvement. In the absence of the political parties refraining from going down the path of armed wings and turf wars and the law enforcement system seemingly ineffective, demands such as the MQM’s may arise from time to time (the ‘strong hand is needed’ syndrome). Those making such demands have obviously forgotten how army intervention on a limited scale has often led to wider, unforeseen outcomes that the country hardly wants or needs to revisit. Democracy may have its flaws, and ours is still embryonic, but military interventions, invited or uninvited, are surely things we can do without. * REFERENCE: EDITORIAL : Altaf Hussain’s incredible demand Thursday, August 29, 2013 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013%5C08%5C29%5Cstory_29-8-2013_pg3_1

Former DGIB Colonel (R) Iqbal Niazi with Mubashir Lucman (Express News)

 

Former DGIB Colonel (R) Iqbal Niazi with... by SalimJanMazari

Hakim Said's case being sent to military court today: PM KARACHI, Jan 1: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif disclosed on Friday that the cases relating to the murder of Hakim Mohammad Said and Maulana Salahuddin would be referred to the military courts for trial tomorrow. Several other high-profile murder cases like those of former MNA Zohair Akram Nadeem, KESC chief Malik Shahid Hamid, education board chairman Ismail Memon, Col Bilal, and two sons of a former SP Azizur Rehman, would also be sent to these courts within the next 24 to 48 hours, he said. Mr Sharif made this statement to newsmen after presiding over a high-level meeting on law and order at the Governor's House here on Friday. Governor Moinuddin Haider, Interior Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Labour and Manpower Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, prime minister's principal secretary Saeed Mehdi, Sindh chief secretary Salik Nazir Ahmad, federal and provincial home secretaries, IG Sindh, the DIG Karachi, the DG rangers, and the chief of the citizen-police liaison committee (CPLC), Jameel Yousuf, also attended the meeting. Official sources said during the meeting the prime minister expressed satisfaction over the performance of military courts and it was decided that the number of these courts would be increased. The meeting was informed that of the 49 cases sent to the military courts 12 were being proceeded on, while judgment had been delivered in four cases. Sources said the provincial administration had been directed to complete the investigations into the murder of Iranian cadets and the Americans on priority basis. The meeting also decided to review all the appointments made in the provincial government in violation of the prescribed procedure and re-evaluate the qualification of such officials. Talking to the newsmen Mr Sharif said military courts were performing satisfactorily and the criminals were being given the punishments they deserved. The prime minister also expressed satisfaction over the law and order situation in Karachi which, he said, had improved. "Government's steps to improve the situation were bearing positive results and the performance of police and administration showed mark improvement under the guidance of the governor." He said the government had succeeded in apprehending notorious criminals and the military courts were trying them. He assured that the government was sincerely working for restoration of peace in Karachi. "The people of Karachi have taken a sigh of relief because the city's economic activities have increased along with the investment reducing the unemployment levels," said the premier. To a question he said the law and order and the national economy were his government's top priorities for the year 1999. PPI/NNI REFERENCE: Hakim Said's case being sent to military court today: PM DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 02 January 1999 Issue : 05/01 https://dl-web.dropbox.com/spa/zohkohb0i282t94/Area%20Studies/public/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1999/02Jan99.html#haki

Nawaz Sharif on MQM and MQM on Nawaz Sharif

 

Nawaz Sharif on MQM and MQM on Nawaz Sharif by SalimJanMazari

Altaf flays Nawaz for singling out Karachi LONDON, Feb 22: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for singling out Karachi while referring to acts of terrorism in the country during his recent address to the nation. He said the PM had deliberately ignored Punjab where more people had died in religious terrorism as compared to Karachi. In an 18-page statement issued in London, Mr Hussain deplored that Mr Sharif had used Quranic references to justify the illegal, unconstitutional and un-Islamic killings either in police custody or through military courts. He said Islamic injunctions clearly stated that the relatives of a person killed could either take revenge or accept blood-money or forgive them - an indirect reference that the relatives of those killed in police custody or through summary trials could demand the lives of the killers. "In Islam, everyone is equal before God, whether he is a ruler or an ordinary person, and Qisas and Diyat can be claimed from the ruler as well." Mr Hussain claimed that five MQM workers had been killed extra-judicially after the imposition of governor's rule in Sindh. Israr Ahmad, he said, was killed by government officials after his arrest whereas Fasih Ahmad Jugnu, Muhammad Anwar, Mubashir Ali and Arman were arrested and tortured to death. "Thus the government is directly responsible for the killing of these five innocent people who were killed even before being produced before a court of law," he said. "Under the Islamic law, their relatives could claim Qisas and Diyat from the president and the prime minister." The MQM chief said similarly, the relatives of around 300 workers killed during the tenure of Nawaz Sharif in police custody or by torture or fake police-encounters could also claim Diyat and Qisas from those who tortured and killed them or from those who ordered the killings. "In Islam it's eye for an eye, ear for an ear and nose for a nose and a tooth for a tooth," he said quoting a verse from the Holy Quran. The MQM chief said by misquoting the Quranic verses, the prime minister tried to justify the killings of the Mohajirs which were being carried out by state agencies and through the government-paid touts. He said the prime minister tried to convey a message to the people that whatever he was doing was right and in accordance with the teachings of Islam. The PM, he added, ignored other Quranic verses in which the God had directed the rulers to treat their subjects equally and with justice. He said Mr Sharif did not refer to those verses because that would have exposed him and his so-called love for Islam." The MQM chief said successive rulers in Pakistan had misused the name of Islam for their own political objectives and Sharif was no different from his predecessors. He said that Nawaz Sharif had long been dreaming of crushing the Mohajirs and recalled that in 1992 he had launched an army operation in Karachi to crush the MQM and its people. However, he said, he could not fulfil his ambitions at that time as his government was dismissed on charges of corruption and incompetence. Hussain said that the army operation in 1992 was launched on the pretext of arresting 72 "big fishes" from Sindh. "The list of 72 big fishes was also produced in the National Assembly. Can the prime minister tell the nation how many big fishes were arrested during that army operation?" He said when the operation was launched Nawaz Sharif had claimed that it would be an evenhanded operation and it was not aimed against any particular community or group. "Every child in Pakistan now knows why the operation was launched and who was the target and that not a single big fish was arrested during that operation." The MQM chief also held the PM responsible for the deterioration in the law and order situation in Karachi. He maintained that before the 1992 operation, there was complete peace and harmony. "If there is any one to blame for the present situation in Karachi, it is Nawaz Sharif himself, who ordered the killings of thousands of MQM people and created a private army to kill MQM workers," he said. Referring to the mention of terrorism in Karachi by Nawaz Sharif, the MQM chief pointed out that the prime minister conveniently ignored the growing incidents of terrorism in the Punjab, which was being ruled by his younger brother, Shahbaz Sharif. He said that the crime figures presented by Interior Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in the National Assembly made it very clear that the largest number of people were killed in acts of terrorism in Punjab. REFERENCE: Altaf flays Nawaz for singling out Karachi DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 27 February 1999 Issue : 05/09 https://dl-web.dropbox.com/spa/zohkohb0i282t94/Area%20Studies/public/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1999/27Feb99.html#alta

Altaf Hussain Interview with Jasmeen Manzoor on Nawaz Sharif (ARY NEWS 2009)

 

Altaf Hussain Interview with Jasmeen Manzoor on... by SalimJanMazari

MQM urges COAS to take notice of govt 'conspiracies'  ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has appealed to the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Pervaiz Musharraf, to take notice of "conspiracies being hatched to undermine and taint the impartial and uncontroversial image of the army." The MQM's parliamentary leader in the Senate, Aftab Shaikh, alleged at a press conference that the government was making a "deliberate attempt to divide and dilute" the army on the dictates of the IMF and World Bank by deploying it in the PIA, WAPDA and other institutions. Shaikh Aftab said his party had tried to establish contacts with the army high command but there had been no response so far. REFERENCE: MQM urges COAS to take notice of govt 'conspiracies' DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 30 January 1999 Issue : 05/05 https://dl-web.dropbox.com/spa/zohkohb0i282t94/Area%20Studies/public/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1999/30Jan99.html#mqmu

Dr. Ishrat ul Ebad & MQM on Nawaz Sharif & Operation against MQM (ARY NEWS 2009)

 

Dr. Ishrat ul Ebad & MQM on Nawaz Sharif... by SalimJanMazari

Muttahida holding talks with PPP for alliance  RAWALPINDI, Dec 14: Muttahida Qaumi Movement was continuing dialogue with the Pakistan People's Party to form an alliance with it at all levels with an agenda envisaged on restoration of Sindh Assembly, withdrawal of governor's rule and military courts, Kalabagh Dam and restoration of peace in Karachi, the leaders of MQM, Senator Aftab Sheikh, Nasreen Jalil and Farooq Sattar, said in a "Meet the Press" programme held at the Rawalpindi Press Club on Monday. They said the MQM had no option but to form an alliance with one of the main political parties of the country, the ruling PML or the PPP, for remaining in political scenario of Sindh and the country. It is why the MQM has continued dialogue with the PPP for making alliance at national assembly, senate and provincial level. Responding to a question, the MQM legislators said that government and agencies were involved in killing innocent people in Karachi while the workers of Muttahida were being implicated in fake cases. Sen Sheikh said that over 25,000 different cases had been registered against the workers of MQM within last four years while all of them have proved to be fake and baseless. He said the senators of MQM were being threatened of dire consequences by the ruling party and their supporters if they did not cast vote in favour of Shariat Bill in the upper house. He said the establishment of military courts in Karachi and CA-15 (Shariat Bill) was a bid of prime minister Nawaz Sharif to impose one-party rule in the country. "We have never talked about the division of the country because Pakistan was founded by the efforts and sacrifices of our forefathers who left their property, relatives and migrated to Pakistan," he added. He said that armed forces of the country were respectable to the MQM but the government wanted to make a rift between the armed forces and the Muttahida by setting up military courts in Karachi. Speaking on the occasion, MQM parliamentary leader Farooq Sattar termed the imposition of governor's rule as a planned conspiracy of the government to take total control of the politics of Sindh. Replying to a question, he said law and order situation in Punjab was not different from that of Sindh as according to a report of ministry of interior, 1,071 people had been killed in Punjab from January 1, 1998 till now while in the same span of time 861 people were murdered in Sindh. He said that since their alliance with the government which was formed in Feb 21, 1997, over 300 workers of MQM had been killed in Karachi. He said that all offices of MQM had been sealed by the government throughout the country and majority of their workers had gone underground due to excesses and brutalities of police. "Each and every workers of MQM has been implicated at least in a single case," he added. He said the arms being shown on TV were not recovered from the possession of MQM workers, but brought from government's arms depots. workers held: Haq Parast Senators have condemned the arrest of Muttahida Qaumi Movement workers, sympathizers and their relatives. They said the police and rangers raided homes and arrested many workers while at places where the raiding parties failed to arrest the wanted men, they ransacked the homes and used indecent language against ladies and other family members. REFERENCE: Muttahida holding talks with PPP for alliance DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 19 December 1998 Issue : 04/50 https://dl-web.dropbox.com/spa/zohkohb0i282t94/Area%20Studies/public/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1998/19Dec98.html#mutt

Memory Loss of Nawaz Sharif, MQM and PPP.

2011 PML-N hints at legal action against MQM - KARACHI: The PML-N is considering legal action against the MQM parliamentarians involved in “bad-mouthing and using un-parliamentary language” against the PML-N leadership. Ahsan Iqbal, the information secretary of the PML-N, was critical of those political parties which, in spite of being part of the coalition government, were criticising it day in and day out. The PML-N and the Muttahida indulged in a mud-slinging bout on Wednesday, slandering each other’s top leadership. “If they are really sincere, they should leave the government and do politics based on principles,” Mr Iqbal said at a press conference on Saturday. He blamed the government and its coalition partners for the worsening law and order situation. Mr Iqbal also slammed the government for the massive increase in petroleum prices, calling for a reversal of the decision. He called for removal of ‘corrupt’ officials from financial institutions, saying that new appointments should be made through a parliamentary committee. He said the economy was on its knees because of corruption. The PML-N leader said unless the government stopped wastefulness, economy would not pick up, warning that poverty would spawn anarchy and civil war.He said had President Asif Zardari acted upon the advice of Mian Nawaz Sharif, the country would not have been in dire straits. He reiterated his party’s stance that it would not be a part of the “puppet show for a mere change of face”. “My party thinks that any change should be meaningful and decisive.” REFERENCE: PML-N hints at legal action against MQM 2011-01-01 23:40:30 http://beta.dawn.com/news/595522/pml-n-hints-at-legal-action-against-mqm-2

Nawaz Sharif on MQM in London APC 2007 (ARY NEWS 2013)

Nawaz Sharif on MQM in London APC 2007 (ARY... by SalimJanMazari

13) The APC holds General Musharraf, the Sindh governor and the provincial government, and the MQM responsible for the carnage carried out in Karachi on May 12, 2007, and demands an independent judicial enquiry by a judge of the Supreme Court to ascertain and identify the persons involved. 14) The APC condemns recent acts of terrorism in UK. It further resolves to write a joint memorandum to the UK government for initiating necessary legal proceedings against MQM chief Altaf Hussain for his alleged role in incidents of terrorism in Pakistan. REFERENCES : Text of London APC declaration Monday, July 09, 2007 http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/national/09-Jul-2007/text-of-london-apc-declaration UK action against Altaf demanded by Rauf Klasra Monday, July 09, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8912&Cat=13&dt=7/9/2007 APC agrees to resist Musharraf’s re-election by Rauf Klasra Monday, July 09, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8911&Cat=13&dt=7/9/2007

MQM on Nawaz Sharif, Operation Cleanup 1992 & MQM workers

 

MQM on Nawaz Sharif, Operation Cleanup 1992... by SalimJanMazari

* Rizvi refers to Nisar as ‘Mr Bean’ --- * MQM leaders accuse Sharifs of having ‘weird likes’ --- * Nisar accuses Altaf of undergoing treatment for mysterious ‘manly disease’ --- ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The war of words between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Wednesday intensified after leaders of both parties started making personal attacks on each others’ leaders, a private TV channel reported. Sitting on different talk shows on private TV channels and talking to reporters outside the Parliament House, leaders of both the parties did not even refrain from using abusive language and profanities against each other, besides hurling threats of serious consequences. PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar said that the MQM was a party of “dacoits”, adding that a person who was sitting abroad for the past 19 years could not bring a revolution in Pakistan. He said if MQM chief Altaf Hussain was sincere with Pakistan, he should return to the country. Separately, commenting on Nisar’s comments, MQM’s Haider Abbas Rizvi said the PML-N was the first to make personal attacks on the MQM leadership. He also referred to Nisar as “Mr Bean”. He said the PML-N leaders would not find a place to stand in the country if a “Pandora’s box was opened”. He said the PML-N leaders used to meet with generals in the dark of night, adding that the PML-N chief was General Jilani’s production, General Zia’s follower and was grateful to General Pervez Musharraf. MQM’s Waseem Akhtar said Nisar was bald and had put on a wig, while Nawaz and Shahbaz both got hair transplants during their forced stay in England. He said it seemed they wanted to have “some romantic affairs”. He said the PML-N leadership had done nothing for the people of Lahore, adding that the people would beat them with shoes. The MQM leaders accused the Sharifs of having “weird likes”, as at a women’s convention, Nawaz had compared himself to Shahjahan and his wife to Mumtaz Mahal. They even went to the extent of saying that Nawaz’s daughter had left the house to force the family to get her married to her father’s ADC. They threatened that both the Sharifs would not be allowed to come to Karachi in future unless they apologised for the indecent language against their party chief. Earlier, Chaudhry Nisar, while talking to reporters outside the Parliament House, had accused Altaf Hussain of undergoing treatment for a mysterious “manly disease” in London, and said if the MQM did not stop using indecent language against the Sharifs, his party would make public the records of that rehab centre. Nisar even asked Altaf to apologise to the nation for all his political, financial and moral ills. He asked how the Sharif brothers had made property worth millions and become owners of 25 factories. He further asked which medical treatment Shahbaz received from London, adding that sex stimulants were recovered from Nawaz’s secretariat when Musharraf took over. daily times monitor/ staff report REFERENCE: PML-N, MQM tear each other apart Thursday, December 30, 2010 http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/main/30-Dec-2010/pml-n-mqm-tear-each-other-apart

Abid Sher Ali on MQM & MQM on Nawaz Sharif Letter to India

 

Abid Sher Ali on MQM & MQM on Nawaz Sharif... by SalimJanMazari

2009 : Where PPP, PML-N and MQM stood on Jinnahpur in 1992 ISLAMABAD: If history has any relevance in our politics then the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) ñ so closely allied today — were daggers drawn over the Jinnahpur conspiracy in 1992 and the PPP was accusing the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) of cover-up while the then-Nawaz Sharif government was pleading complete innocence. Reports carried by leading newspapers on the issue during 1992 show the Nawaz-led IJI government had completely denied the existence of Jinnahpur conspiracy but the PPP-led PDA (Pakistan Democratic Alliance) opposition charged the government of covering up the MQM’s conspiracy. However, the Jamaat-e-Islami, a coalition partner in the government, once moved an adjournment motion in the National Assembly to discuss the Jinnahpur conspiracy. It was no less than opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, who had accused the Nawaz regime of trying to cover up the conspiracy of the MQM which, according to her, wanted to make a separate homeland with the support of India. The incumbent President, Asif Ali Zardari, had also demanded action against Jinnahpur planners. Today though the MQM targets the PML-N for the Jinnahpur conspiracy, during those times MQM Chief Altaf Hussain was even found hailing the Nawaz government for exposing Jinnahpur. Altaf Hussain also demanded a probe into the matter by the Supreme Court. Similarly, the PML-N, which today passes the buck on the Army and intelligence agencies to have created the Jinnahpur drama, during those days insisted that the plot was a figment of imagination of the PPP. The then-interior minister Chaudhry Shujaat was also reported to have said the Army used to operate as per the directive of the government. In order to have a true sense of the political divide of those times and the position of different political parties on the issue of Jinnahpur, briefs of statements and reports of newspapers of different political leaders and analysts on the issue are reproduced here. Jang Karachi quoted Benazir Bhutto on July 6, 1992 as saying if Beharis are settled in Sindh it would pave the way for Jinnahpur and Sindhudesh. She said Sindh had proved to be waterloo for the past rulers and it may also become the same for Nawaz Sharif. July 18, 1992 Jang Karachi reported Brigadier Haroon, the Army spokesman, as saying in a press briefing that the MQM had planned a separate homeland. The News of July 17 quoted him as saying there were confirmed intelligence reports, revealing the MQM plans. The map of the planned country was also discovered during the operation, he claimed. On Oct 11, 1992 Jang Lahore ran a story filed by its reporter Azhar Sohail which talked of the Army high command providing documentary evidence to the government that the MQM was planning to create an independent state called Jinnahpur comprising Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Karachi and all those areas of upper Sindh that are oil rich. The report said the corps commander meeting in a recent meeting discussed the issue and decided to provide all the material to the government. Politician Meraj Muhammad Khan was reported to have said on Oct 12, 1992 that the Jinnahpur map issue is a fraud. A day later, Shaheen Sehbai, who is presently Group Editor of The News, reported for Dawn “A House losing its temper” and wrote in his Press Gallery, “The opposition was pressing for a debate on Jinnahpur, the supposed brainchild of the MQM to separate Urdu-speaking areas from Pakistan.” The same day The News reported the voting out of NA motion by the treasury benches on Jinnahpur. The News also reported the then deputy opposition leader Farooq Leghari to have said the prime minister (Nawaz Sharif) was involved in the Jinnahpur conspiracy and claimed that the government opposed motion on the issue because it did not want to go into details. Dawn on Oct 14, 1992 carried MQM Chief Altaf Hussain’s statement in which he called for a Supreme Court probe to investigate the charges of Jinnahpur against the MQM. The same newspaper reported on Oct 15 about two separate adjournment motions moved by the PDA and Jamaat-e-Islami members to discuss the Jinnahpur conspiracy. In a press conference on Oct 17, the then key minister of Nawaz regime Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said Jinnahpur plot did not exist. “The government would not allow anyone to subvert the rights of Muhajirs. It is baseless that we have ever discussed the creation of the so-called Jinnahpur with the MQM,” he was quoted to have said. Nisar also dispelled the impression that the whole MQM was a terrorist organisation and insisted the good and bad people were in every party. He asked Altaf Hussain to respond to the allegations levelled against his party. The same day ANP Chief Ajmal Khattak said there is no truth in the reports that the MQM had planned anything to break Pakistan or to establish Jinnahpur.October 19 newspapers carry ISPR press release, conveying Army’s denial of the knowledge of the Jinnahpur plan. “The Army had no evidence concerning the so-called Jinnahpur plan, it is clarified that the newspaper story in question is baseless. The Army has neither handed over to the government any document or map as reported, not is it in possession of any evidence concerning the so-called ‘Jinnahpur’ plan. It is also factually wrong that the matter was discussed at any meeting of the corps commander.” But the same day Benazir Bhutto in a statement in the National Assembly said the government was consciously covering up the Jinnahpur conspiracy and is backing up the MQM from day one. Nawa-e-Waqt quoted her as saying the motive of the organisation (MQM) is to create a separate homeland with the support of India. She demanded of the removal of Nawaz Sharif from the government for supporting, abetting and financing the dismemberment of Pakistan. She said it was of no use to blame Altaf Hussain. “His partner, supporter and guide Nawaz Sharif must go,” The News reported on October 19. The same day the then-interior minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was reported to have said in the National Assembly a day before that Jinnahpur is a non-issue and the brainchild of the PPP. Farooq Leghari, however, demanded judicial probe into the plot and contended that disclosure of the Jinnahpur plot had exposed the MQM’s anti-state activities which needed further investigations. Shaheen Sehbai in Dawn’s “From Press Gallery” wrote on October 19, “Jinnahpur is all fiction”. “Including the opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, could hardly produce anything about the much trumpeted Jinnahpur beyond newspaper clippings or a reported statement of an Army spokesman made in front of a team of Islamabad journalists. Even that was said to have been denied by the Army,” wrote Sehbai. The News of Oct 19 also quoted Asif Ali Zardari to have desiring action against Jinnahpur planners. “Zardari said the denial of the plan made by the leader of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad was meaningless,” the newspaper read. In his report “The last refuge of a scoundrel”, Nusrat Javed, senior journalist, wrote in The News on Oct 19, “A military spokesman, Brigadier Haroon, told this to a group of newsmen visiting Karachi in mid-July that there were confirmed intelligence reports that some of the MQM leaders were trying to create a separate state. This correspondent was present at the Army briefing in Karachi where such allegations were made and one reported about them like the rest of the newsmen present. Reference to Haroon’s allegations demands another simple answer, i.e., whether the Nawaz government agrees to the perception expressed by a senior Army officer?” Tariq Butt of The News on October 19 also reported of Benazir Bhutto’s accusing the government of cover-up. “When Interior Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain described the Jinnahpur conspiracy as a dangerous figment of the PDA’s imagination, opposition MNAs accused the government of being a party to the plot,” the story filed by Butt read. The same day Nawa-e-Waqt ran a story quoting Benazir Bhutto to have said the Army had uncovered the Jinnahpur conspiracy but the government was silent on the issue. Dawn on October 21, 1992 reported Altaf Hussain to have been praising the government. The report headlined, “Altaf hails govt for exposing Jinnahpur”. According to the report, the MQM chief said the government (of Nawaz Sharif) and its agencies in the same effective manner should display a positive attitude to review the baseless allegations levelled against the MQM to bring about an improvement in the present constitutional and political crises, particularly in Sindh.” Oct 21, 1992 Jang published a story based on Asif Ali Zardari’s statement that was though appeared conflicting with the PPP stance at that time, suits today’s politics of the PPP and the MQM. The newspaper reported Mr Zardari to have said in a court premises in Karachi that the Jinnahpur scandal was created to malign the MQM. The same day Dawn reported Farooq Leghari to have been refuting the government’s claim that Jinnahpur was a figment of imagination of the PPP. He also demanded constitution of a high-powered commission headed by the chief justice of Pakistan and comprising all the four high court chief justices to look into the matter. Several years later on December 14, 1998 The News carried a statement of Altaf Hussain on the same issue. Altaf Hussain demanded probe into reports about Jinnahpur and said the separate Jinnahpur state allegations was a well-planned conspiracy which was used as a message for the Muhajir community that they would continue to be victimised if they did not demand a separate state. REFERENCE: Where PPP, PML-N and MQM stood on Jinnahpur in 1992 BY Ansar Abbasi Thursday, September 03,  2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=196297&Cat=2&dt=9/3/2009

Gen. (R) Tariq Pervaiz & Muhammad Anwar (MQM) on General Pervez Musharraf (Meray Mutabiq – 29-8-09)

 

Gen. (R) Tariq Pervaiz & Muhammad Anwar (MQM... by SalimJanMazari

2009 RAWALPINDI: Former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf had long-standing links with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and used to visit ‘nine zero’ in Karachi on one pretext or the other even when he was a brigadier. He used to openly support the party during the corps commanders conferences and once he had pleaded their case by demanding compensation for those killed in the Karachi operation. At one of the conferences, Gen Jehangir Karamat asked our views in this regard. Only I raised my voice demanding that the Punjabis, the Pakhtuns and others killed there may also be compensated. The recent disclosures of Brig (retd) Imtiaz seem to be at the behest of MQM or some one else, said former corps commander Quetta Lt Gen (retd) Tariq Pervez while participating in the Geo News programme “Meray Mutabiq”. He quoted the then chief of the staff Gen Iqbal that Musharraf used to visit ‘90’ (MQM headquarters) in the staff car when he was a brigadier. Tariq Pervez said the instant appearance of Brig Imtiaz and his disclosures obviously force every one to doubt his sincerity. He said the MQM is the major beneficiary in this regard. Tracing the background of Brig Imtiaz in the intelligence department, he said every one under him used to be afraid of him as he had the tendency not only to tease people on different excuses but at times had spoiled their careers. When asked as to what were his differences with Musharraf and why he, as corps commander, had met Nawaz Sharif bypassing him, Lt Gen Tariq Pervez said their differences on professional matters were old. They had multiplied during the Kargil adventure where Gen Mehmood and Gen Aziz were also involved. During the briefings on Kargil, Musharraf used to boast over his successes. However, I wanted to be heard in those meetings and transfer my long experiences as commander over the Line of Control. I was keen that the army benefits from my experiences. Gen Tariq said at the beginning of the Kargil conflict, Musharraf, Mehmood and their cronies had tried to display their feelings that they had achieved what I had thought impossible. I conveyed that like every Pakistani in uniform, I would have been too happy if the Indians were beaten. Later it was proved that only fabricated stories were conveyed to the troops and the public. He said our causalities were in great number and the claims about building bunkers proved false. The fact remains that no precautionary measures were made to ensure victory or the safety of life of the troops. Tariq said he had met Musharraf early in October 1999 on news that he was immediately being retired from service. “He just gave me a couple of days more when requested that sufficient time should be given so that one can make up his mind as it had been a long service in the Army”. It was Gen Tariq’s perception that by the time he met Musharraf, he had already made up his mind to overthrow the Nawaz Sharif government. “The day he took over, it was my last day in uniform,” Gen Tariq said. He recalled that although it smelled fishy on October 12, 1999, but he never knew that such a major step was on the anvil. Tracing the track that moved Musharraf to the office of the Army chief, Gen Tariq disclosed that he used to meet Nawaz Sharif without taking even Army Chief Gen Jehangir Karamat into confidence and assured complete loyalty and service, if promoted. Meetings of Musharraf with Nawaz were a usual table talk in the Army circles in those days. Taking part in the programme, Muhammad Anwar Khan of the MQM International Secretariat denied that because of the disclosures by Brig Imtiaz, MQM or PPP benefited, adding, rather history was being corrected. Praising Imtiaz, he said he is a special person and thus speaks the truth to benefit the country. He had played exceptionally well by getting the history corrected. It’s not necessary to probe as to why such disclosures were made at this stage but we are happy that MQM is now free of wrong allegations and baseless charges of trying to establish Jinnah Pur. Anwar recalled that MQM’s character assassination was carried out during 1992 and from time to time thereafter. “We were described and understood as traitors,” he said. He recalled that not a single case is on record against Altaf Hussain or the MQM hierarchy before the 1992 operation. The cases were established thereafter on political grounds. With regard to the meeting between Pervez Musharraf and Asif Ali Zardari, he said, “We are politicians and thus believe in democratic norms and doors of talks remain open in democracy”. In his analysis, Dr Shahid Masood said players of politics are bent upon defeating each other but the game had actually begun prior to final ruling on the NRO. He pointed out that there are rules and regulations for every game but in the power politics there is free for all. At times they had erected such strong protection wall that there remained no exit for them also and they were caught in their sanctuaries. He said Brig (retd) Imtiaz through his initial statements has not only put those forces including the PML-N, Jamaat-e-Islami and others in the former IJI on the defensive but again dragged his former bosses including Hamid Gul, Asad Durrani and Gen Aslam Beg in the buried tales that they become fed up with. Obviously this directly benefited both the PPP and MQM, he said. REFERENCE: Musharraf had already made up mind to remove Nawaz: Gen Tariq News Desk Tuesday, September 01, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=24238&Cat=13&dt=9/1/2009 REFERENCE: Altaf greets ‘Punjabi representative party’ on its big win May 12, 2013 - Updated 01 PKT http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-100566-Altaf-greets-Punjabi-representative-party-on-its-big-win GEO TV Altaf Hussain greets ‘Punjabi representative party’ on its big win http://www.geo.tv/article-100566-Altaf-Hussain-greets-Punjabi-representative-party-on-its-big-win GEO TV Urdu پنجابیوں کی نمائندہ جماعت کوکامیابی پرمبارکباد پیش کرتا ہوں،الطاف حسین http://urdu.geo.tv/UrduDetail.aspx?ID=100566 The real cause of MQM-PML hostility BY Amir Mir Thursday, September 03, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=196296&Cat=2&dt=9/3/2009 Establishment — the main target in current fiasco BY Ansar Abbasi Wednesday, September 02, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=24254&Cat=13&dt=9/2/2009 Brig Asif says he never saw ‘Jinnahpur’ map Wednesday, September 02, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=24259&Cat=13&dt=9/2/2009 The politics of Brigadier ‘Billa’ BY Tahir Hasan Khan Monday, August 31, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=195836&Cat=4&dt=8/31/2009

Parveen Rehman (1957 - 2013)

A 2009 WikiLeaks cable released yesterday adds new context to the discussion following last weekend's assault on a Pakistani naval base in Karachi. The Cable, signed by Consul General Stephen Fakan, surveys the threat posed by the city's armed political gangs: The police in Karachi are only one of several armed groups in the city, and they are probably not the most numerous or best equipped. Many neighborhoods are considered by the police to be no-go zones in which even the intelligence services have a difficult time operating. Very few of the groups are traditional criminal gangs. Most are associated with a political party, a social movement, or terrorist activity, and their presence in the volatile ethnic mix of the world,s fourth largest city creates enormous political and governance challenges. The cable surveys armed groups associated with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party, Muhajir Qaumi Movement (H), and Sunni Tehreek (ST). Interestingly, it argues that because of the deterioration of the rest of Pakistan, Karachi has become something of an "island of stability" but warns that the city "still has a number of well-armed political and religious factions and the potential to explode into violent ethnic and religious conflict given the wrong circumstances." Reference: WikiLeaks: Karachi gangs outnumber police Posted By Joshua Keating Tuesday, May 24, 2011 - 12:47 PM http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/05/24/wikileaks_karachi_gangs_outnumber_police Viewing cable 09KARACHI138, SINDH - THE GANGS OF KARACHI http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2009/04/09KARACHI138.html

KARACHI: A media-shy social worker who devoted her life to the development of the impoverished neighbourhoods across the country, was gunned down near her office in Orangi Town on Wednesday. She was 56. Parveen Rehman was born in Dhaka in 1957. She did part of her schooling in the former East Pakistan and migrated to Karachi after the fall of Dhaka. She received a bachelor’s of engineering in architecture from Karachi’s Dawood College of Engineering and Technology in 1981 and joined a private architect’s firm. A few months later, she left the job and joined the Orangi Pilot Project initiated by Akhtar Hameed Khan to bring healthy changes to the lives of impoverished residents of Orangi. “The late Akhtar persuaded her to join the OPP. We both joined the OPP in 1982 and since then we worked in close association,” said Anwer Rashid, co-director of the OPP-RTI (Orangi Pilot Project-Research and Training Institute). Mr Rashid choked on words as he described his working relationship with Ms Rehman. Noted town planner Arif Hasan, who is member of the OPP’s board, briefly visited Ms Rehman’s home and left early as he was deeply distressed like dozens of her friends and colleagues who had gathered at her house in Safari Boulevard in Gulistan-i-Jauhar. “She was a courageous and brave lady. She was a true pupil of Akhtar Hameed Khan who worked in an environment where most people will avoid to work,” said Mr Rashid. Soon after the private TV networks flashed news of her death, a large number of people flocked to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where her body had been shifted. Eyewitnesses said those who gathered in the hospital and outside her home, where she was living alone with her octogenarian mother, included dozens of residents of Orangi who were mourning her death. “She was a great help for us. She was just like an elder sister to whom we would go whenever a problem struck us,” said a middle-aged man who identified himself as Azmat Ali. Arif Pervez, development professional and a friend of hers, said Ms Rehman had been receiving death threats for a long time, apparently from the mafia involved in grabbing precious land on the fringes of the city. “She had been receiving threats on her life for a long time. We had discussed this several times but every time I advised her to take care of herself, she smiled, waved her hand and said what will they do, I have to work a lot and that too in the middle of the people,” Mr Pervez said. Ms Rehman was an ardent compiler of the record of precious lands, which were on the fringes of the city in shape of villages but were speedily vanishing into its vastness because of ever-increasing demand by thousands of families who were shifting to Karachi every year from across the country. She said on record that around 1,500 goths (villages) had been merged into the city since 15 years. Land-grabbers subdivided them into plots and earned billions by their sale. “She documented everything about the lands that have been grabbed. Another sin of her was to help those whose lands had been grabbed. Yet, she never hesitated to go to the area where her life was constantly under threat,” Mr Pervez said.“Many people certainly have lost their elder sister,” he said. Noman Ahmed of NED University said Ms Rehman’s great achievement was to get involved and empower communities in development work. “She involved communities in development work and her cautious endeavour was to empower people and lessen their sense of deprivation. Her motto was way forward. She saw it as a defeat to terrorists by not changing her routine to help people,” Mr Ahmed said. Besides her mother, Ms Rehman is survived by her two brothers and a sister, living abroad. REFERENCE: Parveen Rehman: a fighter for the poor silenced http://dawn.com/2013/03/14/parveen-rehman-a-fighter-for-the-poor-silenced/

Parveen Rehman on Land, Politics and Violence in Karachi by Fahad Desmukh http://www.scribd.com/doc/130730202/Parveen-Rehman-on-Land-Politics-and-Violence-in-Karachi

Parveen Rehman on Land, Politics and Violence in Karachi by Aamir Mughal

2012: “They came with gunmen,” said Parveen Rehman, who heads a social development nongovernmental organization in Karachi. “Five or six went into the courtyard and they said that ‘today we will occupy this place no matter what.’” Rehman said the armed thugs wanted to take over the group’s compound. Luckily, she said, a person in her organization knew someone more powerful. So they turned to him for help. “He came and he said if you fire then we’ll fire many more rounds,” Rehman said. “So imagine, to save ourselves, we went to a bigger thug.” This is by no means an isolated incident. Many organizations and businesses face similar problems. And it’s especially hard to fix because the violence goes right to the top, to city officials and political parties. Karachi houses almost every different ethnic and political group in the country: Muhajirs, Pashtuns, Baloch, Sindhis… not to mention a range of Islamist groupings. All of the different groups have political organizations that claim to represent them. And most of those groups have their own militias. Parveen Rehman said that grabbing land brings lots of power. “There is continuous battle over various segments of land in Karachi between various groups of people who I would not say are given sanction by any one political party; but who as a strategy align themselves with political parties,” Rehman explained. “And police and of course all the government departments and the elected members are all partners in this. Because the money involved is so much, that overnight you can earn so much more.” It’s a strategic mix of politics, crime and business. Once a political party’s thugs steal land, it’s divided and illegally sold to others. And that creates an instant – beholden – constituency. This phenomenon of “land-grabbing” exploits the weakness of state institutions, as well as the ever-increasing demand for housing not met by the government. About half of Karachi’s estimated 17 million people live this way, dependent on one private group or another. REFERENCE : Urban Violence and Land Grabbing in Karachi JANUARY 18, 2012 BY Fahad Desmukh Fahad Desmukh is a journalist based in Karachi, Pakistan. He has previously worked as a news reporter for Express 24/7 and Geo TV in Pakistan. http://www.theworld.org/2012/01/urban-violence-and-land-grabbing-in-karachi/

Orangi Pilot Project: Environment and Urbanization by Arif Hasan http://www.scribd.com/doc/130386205/Orangi-Pilot-Project-Environment-and-Urbanization-by-Arif-Hasan

Orangi Pilot Project: Environment and Urbanization by Arif Hasan by Aamir Mughal

Death of a social activist By Ardeshir Cowasjee November 15th, 2009 THE desecration of Gutter Baghicha, a designated parkland for the people of Karachi, has been written about umpteen times over the past couple of years, but no effective action was taken by those concerned. On Nov 7, 2009, Nisar Baloch, the spearhead of the Gutter Baghicha Bachao Tehreek and a member of Shehri, two NGOs which have been trying for the last two decades to save this lung of the city,was shot through the head by unidentified assailants as he was leaving his house. As recorded in a Nov 10 editorial in the national press, “After Baloch`s death, most of Old Golimar, Bada Board area and Pak Colony, predominantly Sindhi and Baloch lower class neighbourhoods, were shut down in protest. The police had to be called to control the public outrage against the murder of a concerned citizen, known for his long-standing campaign against the land-grabbing mafia and the indiscriminate conversion of parks, playgrounds, beach promenades, sewage treatment plants, government building plots and even plots in the sea into commercial projects by the authorities. “The City District Government Karachi is accused of having changed the status of at least 26 parks and playgrounds in middle, lower-middle and working-class neighbourhoods of the city. While a large tract of land by the sea has been turned into a sprawling recreation point, Bagh-i-Ibn-i-Qasim, in the heart of a posh locality, the right of the lesser mortals in the metropolis to public spaces and amenity plots is being flagrantly flouted. Several petitions are pending at various levels of the courts against illegal conversion, grabbing and disposal of land as well as amenity plots all over Karachi…. “Nisar Baloch understandably became a thorn in the side of the land-grabbing mafia, reportedly backed by influential ethnic and political parties of the city. Ironically, he had addressed a press conference only a day before he was murdered where he highlighted the issue in detail and pinpointed (perhaps fatally) the forces lending administrative and political support to the illegal occupation of the land of Gutter Baghicha. Importantly, Nisar Baloch had criticised both the MQM and PPP in equal measure, the former for complicity in coercion and the latter for its expedient tardiness. The Sindh chief minister had slapped a ban on the disposal and leasing of plots by the city government in July 2009. The ban was challenged by Nazim Mustafa Kamal but this public interest matter was settled out of court as if it was a compoundable dispute.” Nisar`s widow, 29-year old Madiha, has written to Chief Justice Iftihkar Chaudhry under the heading `Appeal for justice in the matter of Gutter Baghicha, Manghopir Road, Karachi (a) Punish the killers of my social-activist husband, Nisar Baloch (b) Save Gutter Baghicha Park from land-grabbers and criminals`. The text “My 45-year old husband, Nisar Baloch, resident of Old Golimar in Karachi, worked most of his life for the poor people of our area, and laboured especially hard over the past 16 years to preserve the remaining 480 acres of Gutter Baghicha Trans-Lyari Park. “Powerful political parties, corrupt officials and vested interests want to grab this amenity land, and, during the past six months, have occupied a part of the park and are building houses on it. My husband held a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Nov6, 2009 to expose by name the criminals involved and to ask for your intervention in the matter (see press clippings attached….) “He was brutally shot dead the next morning at about 9.30 am near our house while driving his motorcycle, leaving me a widow with a two-year old daughter. Details of the murder in cold blood are given in the attached press clippings of Nov 8, 2009. “This brutal act has ruined our life; I and my daughter request your Honour to take lawful action against those responsible, order an impartial investigation of my husband`s murder, and help preserve his dream of a developed Gutter Baghicha Park accessible to all for recreation.” This targeted murder was undertaken the day after Nisar`s press conference. Who will be next on the list? Could it be a man of the Rangers? Or could it be a police official? Or a functionary of the City District Government`s Revenue Office whose sworn duty it is to protect government and amenity land? Karachi is a volatile tinderbox that could ignite at any time. It has slowly reached this stage over the past three decades because our politicians and government officials (not a single statesman among the lot) have progressively abdicated their statutory duty to render good governance and maintain the writ of law. The recent campaign to free the judiciary from the shackles that since 1947 have increasingly restrained it augurs well for the re-establishment of justice across the land. The citizens of Pakistan look to Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who has himself been a victim of injustice, to come to the aid of the oppressed and exploited. Reference: Death of a social activist By Ardeshir Cowasjee November 15th, 2009 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/19346 Gutter Baghicha over the years by Shahid Hussain, Sunday, November 08, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=207306&Cat=4&dt=11/8/2009

Supreme Court Verdict on Karachi Killings http://www.scribd.com/doc/129263983/Supreme-Court-Verdict-on-Karachi-Killings

Supreme Court Verdict on Karachi Killings by Aamir Mughal

When it comes to Gutter Baghicha, land-grabbers have always been one step ahead in their attempts to bag the amenity plot to fill their coffers - It is a deplorable fact that in Pakistan, we constantly try to acquire any piece of land to build on or cultivate regardless of the fact that it may be be owned by another person, a community or that it might be an amenity plot. The greed is so great that we have to get hold of the land by any means possible. The small, green plot in Karachi termed ‘Gutter Baghicha’ gets its name from the sewerage treatment plant installed there during the pre-Partition era, in 1890. The entire area then covered 1,017 acres, and was a part of the Trans-Lyari Quarter meant to serve 100,000 people. The Karachi Handbook describes Gutter Baghicha as “an oasis in the desert and a paradise of insects, birds and naturalists.” Cereals, vegetables and fruits were cultivated here. Then, in 1947 onwards, an influx of refugees from India began to settle in kutchi abadis and began encroaching on Gutter Baghicha, such as Asif Colony, Zubair Colony, Hasrat Mohani Colony and Wilayatabad. These colonies were established on 25 per cent of the then Gutter Baghicha area. Haroonabad Industrial Area and marble-processing plants encroached upon another 15pc. In early 1993, an application was forwarded for the KMC Officers Cooperative Society on 200 acres of Gutter Baghicha land at throwaway prices. A couple of days later, the KMC Council, through Resolution No 82, approved the land use (without auction) for 99 years for residential purpose. This is in violation of Section 45 of SLGO 1979.

The Chief Secretary, Syed Sardar Ahmed, commented on it thus: “It would be unfair to convert the open park/farm into a housing society. It may be regretted.” But the summary never reached the chief minister (having been dexterously retrieved by the mafia), who surprisingly supported a resolution passed by the KMC committee. A couple of months later, the KMC advertised an auction of industrial plots in Gutter Baghicha at Rs1,000 per square yard. Then in mid-1993, without mentioning the unfavourable remarks of the Chief Secretary, a proposal to proceed with the KMCOHS was pushed to the chief minister, amounting to “cheating and concealing of facts.” The latter again supported the KMC resolution. A few days later, the Government of Sindh approved the housing scheme, undersigned as 45(5)(I) of SLGO1979 to KMC Council Resolution No 82 of 11-3-1993. A month later, a lease deed for 200 acres executed without receiving full payment and Rs11 million still outstanding. Then, there appeared an advertisement in the papers to go ahead with this housing scheme with a three-day deadline. Curious, I ventured to Lyari and talked to some of the locals. I was shown Gutter Baghicha and I decided to file a Human Rights case 6-K/93 under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, under the conversion of Gutter Baghicha amenity land into an industrial one. We obtained a stay order from the Sindh High Court. In September 1993, the Sindh EPA recommended to the Supreme Court that a public farm be established on this park. The Sindh High Court restrained KMC or any other transferees from transferring or selling any part of Gutter Baghicha. The Government of Sindh was also restrained from granting approval to the KMC resolution. It was a thoughtful summary from Justice Agha Sabihuddin that said the Supreme Court judgment should be awaited. In spite of the SHC stay order on this park, between 1994 and 1997 sub-leases of 415 plots were issued by the KMC for officers’ housing. Members of this fraudulent scheme tried to obtain bank loans against this allotment as well. Finally, what was done in the case of Gutter Baghicha. Were illegal industries removed and their owners charged? Was the KMC committee severely reprimanded and disbanded for its acts? Were those responsible or involved in this act, as well as the concerned KMC officers, hauled up by the police or fined? No. It shows a huge deficiency in our judicial back-up system. Opposite the Ferozabad Police Station in PECHS, the land mafia targeted an eight-acre plot named Sultanagar lying vacant in 1981, wanting to build a housing scheme here. 

The same was reserved for a ladies park. Humaira Rehman and I organized a signature campaign and gave this to the then Martial Law Administrator, Gen Abbasi, who then ordered against its sale and development. In the mid-90s, a 2,200 square yards plot on Hill Park in PECHS was illegally given out by Z.A. Nizami, DG, KDA, to a builder. Yousuf Jameel and I fought the legal case and we lost as Mr Nizami, as the DG, KDA, had a right to “allot plots”. The Kidney Park is another example. The open, park or green areas between New York, Singapore with and Karachi with populations of 14.6, 4 and 11 million is 12, 10 and less than 1pc, respectively. In addition, Karachi has the highest density of population — 6,300 persons per square kilometre. The population of Karachi will eventually reach 40 million and Pakistan at 473 million. Pakistan will emerge as the third-largest country in the world. Aside from these population projections, there are two reasons for a population influx in cities. One is rural migration and the other, national population growth. In Istanbul, there is an autonomous urban organization that is free from political pressures. Turkey’s current Prime Minister, Abdullah Gul, was a one-time mayor and handled city issues. When low-cost housing takes place, then this organization is provided money to do it. There is no such thing as free plots. The Turkish population is also almost static at 67 million. Aside from this, another very important aspect to be noted is the diminishing river-water flow that results in lesser snowfall in the mountains. The solution is not to build another huge Kalabagh Dam and thereby cause Sindh another huge economic and environmental loss. All of us have already read about the millions of acres of wasteland due to sea-water intrusion in the coastal areas of Sindh. There is Brackish water in Badin at a depth of one-and-a-half foot below ground. Water holds its level irrespective of the fact that it is arable or seawater. When we build dams, we hold back fresh water, that results in intrusion of seawater. This is what is happening in Sindh. If we think in terms of economic loss, it amounts to billions of rupees. Aside from dams, we have to think constructively and learn from other situations such as the one in the Middle East where there is a shortage of water, but agriculture thrives. We have to line up our canals, thereby saving water for agriculture and the adjoining land from waterlogging. Pakistan spends 2.3pc on education, the lowest in South Asia, as opposed to Sri Lanka’s 11.7pc, in spite of its civil war. This has been continuing for the last 85 years. Pakistan needs money for education and it is there for the taking, but we must address this situation seriously. Alcohol, and horse racing are just two of the many areas of extravagance that remain untaxed. Think of all the new jobs being created if we include all this as part of the white economy. By these means, our education budget can multiply three or four times. Unfortunately, due to our warped and negative thinking, we have lost billions of dollars over the last 25 years. Finally, we spend around $230 million on education. If we take a fully-loaded F16 warplane each costing $80 million, only three of these would match the amount we spend on education in a given year. REFERENCE: Who will defy the land mafia? By Navaid Hussain February 2, 2003 http://archives.dawn.com/weekly/dmag/archive/030202/dmag20.htm ‘Gutter Baghicha will be saved from encroachment’ * Shehri launches signature campaign http://jamilkhan.wordpress.com/2008/10/25/save-gutter-baghicha-campaign/ By Jamil Khan Published @ Daily Times on Oct 25, 2008

Profile of Orangi Pilot Project http://www.scribd.com/doc/130385491/Profile-of-Orangi-Pilot-Project

Profile of Orangi Pilot Project by Aamir Mughal

2009 : `I Own Karachi` and can sell it! By Ardeshir Cowasjee February 22nd, 2009 KARACHI, this increasingly ravaged city, has a dire history of the conversion of amenity plots to commercial and residential use. Virtually every `ruler` or administrator has left his mark on the exploding metropolis by giving away what was not his to give — public spaces and civic-use plots that were planned by experts for the common good. At the Corporate Summit on Climate Change held in Karachi last Thursday, the city nazim Mustafa Kamal told a gathering of some 200 businessmen, industrialists, environmentalists, academics and NGOs that he had learnt that day for the first time of the importance of the environment. He admitted to being unfamiliar with the Environment Protection Act 1997 and with the effects of climate change. He welcomed an offer from Leadership for Environment & Development Pakistan to assist him in evaluating his development strategy and his proposed solutions to the city`s problems, including mass transportation, treatment of 400 million gallons per day of raw sewage presently being dumped into the sea, and the management of 10,000 tons of garbage generated daily. Coincidentally, whilst the nazim was speaking at the DHA Golf Club, members of the MQM were passing a City Council resolution at the KMC Hall, barely eight miles away, converting over 40 acres of amenity space at Sewage Treatment Plant-2 in Mehmoodabad (located at N24o51`6`, E67o04`27` on Google-Earth) into a housing colony. This was done despite the protests of opposition members who foresaw `horrible devastation` if land assigned for a treatment plant expansion was swallowed up. They explained that many previous attempts to misuse and convert amenity spaces had been struck down by the courts. In July 2008, a similar illegal conversion (`commercialisation`) of a 2.5-acre space on the Clifton beach was attempted by the City Council treasury benches (over the objections of the opposition members) for use as a five-star hotel-cum-shopping complex. Earlier this month, a blitz of ads in the press announced the auction of the beach plot for a reserved price of Rs119 crores. References: `I Own Karachi` and can sell it! By Ardeshir Cowasjee February 22nd, 2009 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/152064 2 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/152173 3 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/152174 4 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/152097