Violence in Lyari: New Fissures in Karachi

The insecurities of populace in Karachi and interior Sindh have increased, as both Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which is by and large perceived to be a Sindhi dominated party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which represents the Mohajirs, or the migrants from India, have been weakened considerably after the 2013 elections.  For last few years, the ethnic equilibrium in Karachi has been disturbed and  there have been apprehensions of ethnic violence as the Mohajirs, who dominated the city have lost their numerical majority.  The city has in the recent past been afflicted by sectarian violence and attacks by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).  However, amidst all the existing strands of violence in Karachi, a new ethnic faultline has emerged in Lyari, a suburb of Karachi, one of the eighteen constituent towns of Karachi. Amongst all the towns that constitute Karachi, Lyari is the oldest settlement, smallest in area and most densely populated.  Its one million plus population is a multitude of religious and ethnic groups. Although, Hindus, Bohris, Ismailis, Sindhis, Mohajirs, Punjabis, Pakhtoons and Seraiki speakers reside there, most of the inhabitants are either Baloch or Kutchi Memons and Gujrati Kathiawaris, who have migrated from Kutch and Kathiawar in India. 

For some years now, poverty stricken Lyari has been the nerve centre of Pakistani underworld. Most of the gangsters, who indulged in all sorts of illegal activities, including extortion, kidnapping, illegal arms trade and narcotics, resided there.  The locality, which does not have clean drinking water or adequate educational facilities, has also become a security black hole with most of the residents depending on gangsters to provide them security.  Most of these underworld dons are Baloch and have traditionally had close contacts with various factions of PPP and consequently, Lyari has remained a PPP bastion in a city dominated by MQM.  One cannot even enter many of the territories without clearance from these gangsters.  In fact most security personnel usually avoid venturing into the narrow lanes of Lyari, which provided good hiding places to the resident gangsters, while hampering the movement of security forces.  For long, gang wars between the supporters of two Baloch underworld dons Rehman ‘Dakait’ and Arshad Pappu led to large-scale violence in Lyari. Both were considered close to the PPP and at times dabbled with politicians from MQM.  Lyari remained a stronghold of PPP and Rehman is believed have been involved in providing security to Benazir.  In 2008, Rehman, who had acquired a Robin Hood image and had political ambitions, established Peoples Amn (peace) Committee (PAC), which brought together most of the disparate gangsters under one umbrella, ironically with an avowed objective of establishing peace.  Rehman was killed in 2009 in a dubious encounter by the police, however, his successor Uzair Jan Baloch has consolidated his hold over Lyari with the help of PAC and influences the politics of the area.  So strong has been his hold over the area that Nabeel Gabol, the PPP Member of Parliament who had won both 2002 and 2008 elections with resounding margins from the constituency, could not even enter Lyari as he was not in the good books of PAC. 

During the last few years, the security agencies made numerous raids into the locality allegedly at the behest of Gabol and some other PPP politicians, with the intentions of capturing these gangsters and marginalizing the influence of PAC.  However, they have not been able to garner success, despite using large force.  In April 2012, at the behest of MQM and some PPP functionaries like Gabol, a massive operation was launched in Lyari by the Pakistani Rangers, a paramilitary force. The operation, which used Armoured Personnel Carriers and lasted eight days resulted in killing of 40 people and injuries to 150 including 28 policemen, but the security personnel could not reach their intended target.  The rangers were stopped by women and children pouring into the streets and throwing stones.  The PAC, which had been outlawed by then, put road blocks into the narrow streets to stall the movement of the vehicles and attacked the Rangers with automatic weapons and Rocket Propelled Grenades.  The government was forced to sue for peace and this surrender firmly established the supremacy of PAC in Lyari. Subsequently, in March 2013, just after PPP government had relinquished power, Arshad Pappu was publicly killed by the PAC in Lyari.  Gruesome videos of his murder have been circulating on the cyberspace. It is alleged that he was arrested by the police and handed over to the PAC.  With his elimination, PAC’s influence became all pervasive in Lyari, barring some Kutchi dominated localities. Meanwhile, Gabol resigned from PPP to contest the 2013 elections on an MQM ticket and lost his security deposit in the election.  He was comprehensively defeated by the PPP candidate Shahjahan Baloch, a PAC member, who contested from prison. 

 Meanwhile in 2010, the Kutchi community, which is primarily involved in business, set up Kutchi Rabita Committee (KRC) to counter frequent demands of extortion by the gangsters from PAC.  It had some success in the Kutchi dominated parts of Lyari, with support from the remnants of Arshad Pappu gang.  It is believed that the operation by the Rangers in April 2012 was actively supported by KRC, besides Pappu gang.  After winning the 2013 elections, the PAC has turned its attention to the few remaining areas outside their control in Lyari.  This has resulted in targeting of Kutchi community, so as to gain control of areas dominated by KRC.  By middle of July, over 20,000 Kutchis have moved out of Lyari to other parts of Karachi, and Thatta and Badin districts in interior Sindh, where population has affinity with them.  The movement of huge masses during the holy month of Ramzan has caused deep consternation and has allowed political parties inimical to PPP to jump into the fray.  MQM, which is close to KRC has been the first political entity to provide succor to the affected populace. It is trying to use the incident to spread its influence beyond the Urdu speaking populace to Sindhi speaking Kutchi community and through them to Badin and Thatta in interior Sindh.  The Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also dispatched a team to investigate the issue, bypassing the PPP Chief Minister of Sindh.     

Although, Supreme Court of Pakistan has taken cognizance of the migration, nothing much is likely to come out of it.  MQM is desperate to cultivate the Kutchis and seems to be winning their support. The incident has given Nawaz Sharif, an opportunity, to embarrass the PPP provincial government. In the fractured mosaic of Karachi, one more ethnic faultline has been added. However, what is most worrisome is the fact that in a city, which is radically getting Talibanised, a huge area has become a fiefdom of criminals beyond the reach of Law Enforcement Agencies and could easily be exploited by the Taliban.  As previous operations against criminals have shown, it would be virtually impossible to dislodge committed and well armed terrorists from Lyari, if they strike roots there. 

The author is a Senior Fellow at CLAWS

Views expressed are personal