It is a great pity that the situation in Karachi is always viewed through the lens of hatred and bigotry, and every incident that takes place in the city is blindly attributed to the MQM – basically, to denounce the just mandate of the party in Karachi.
Karachi, the largest city in the country, contributes 70 percent of the total revenue to the national exchequer while Sindh draws 90 percent of its revenue from Karachi. Still, the city is left at the nature’s mercy. Karachiites are deprived of water, electricity, transport, sanitation and other basic amenities.
Ensuring law and order, infrastructure and basic amenities to its people is the Sindh government's primary responsibility. On the contrary, the law enforcing agencies, like Police and Rangers, fail to perform their responsibilities. Police and Rangers personnel are often caught as offenders themselves.
Sadly, the writer did not hold the PTI, with a majority seats in the parliament from Karachi, answerable for the deteriorating situation.
Sadly, the writer did not hold the PTI, with a majority seats in the parliament from Karachi, answerable for the deteriorating situation.
The 2018 election results, like many before, reflect the decayed policy of the establishment -- that allows Karachi to be governed by one party. In order to destroy the political power of the MQM, it has divided the party into factions and its leadership removed under the Minus-One formula. It deported Altaf Hussain, played tricky games to drive him away from his party and people and crushed his party under the three-pronged strategy of isolation, criminalisation and demoralisation.
There is no denying the fact that although people belonging to different ethnic and linguistic groups inhabit Karachi, Mohajirs dominate it. The MQM's overwhelming victory in local body and national and provincial assemblies between 1987 and 2015 proves the party’s popularity and support base. However, political and military analysts, unfamiliar with Karachi's demographics and political and ethnic rights issues propose plans remotely from Islamabad and Lahore. They suggest building national unity, and that the MQM should promote interests of all nationalities not just of Mohajirs. They insist Karachi is not a city of people of one nationality.
It must be pointed out here that the party has raised voice for rights and interests of all in the past. It expanded the party base to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement to include other ethnic groups.
We must not forget the fact that the existence of the MQM is born out of a sense of deprivation among Mohajirs, which, sadly, still persists in spite of political ups and downs. Mohajirs continue to face discrimination in accessing government jobs.
Karachi belongs to everyone but nobody ‘owns’ the city like Mohajirs do. It is time that the MQM mandate is recognized, and to heal the wounds of the city, power must be handed over to the people of the largest city of Pakistan.