KARACHI, May 23: An uneasy calm resides in parts of Malir and Shah Faisal Colony following raids in Landhi and alleged election related manoeuvring in NA-255.
Gunshots are frequently heard in the twin localities. And wall chalking carried out by rival groups indicates that both the Mohajir Qaumi Movement and Muttahida Qaumi Movement want to make their presence felt in Malir as well as Shah Faisal Colony.
The situation has turned particularly tense since the announcement of the by-election schedule by the election commission for NA-255 Landhi, area elders say.
The two localities have remained a stronghold of Mohajir Qaumi Movement and activists of the Afaq-led party are still present in them although they have been sidelined considerably. However, political analysts say a majority of the activists have changed their style of operation due to the raids against them.
Although many have changed loyalties, with a visible majority having switched over to the ruling Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the hard-core militant cadre has either gone underground or has changed places owing to the threat posed by the law-enforcement agencies. Those nominated in murder cases are being chased by the police in parts of Landhi, Malir and Shah Faisal Colony.
On Thursday a central Haqiqi leader — Asif Sheharyar, who took an active part in election work for his brother-in-law Sharif Khan — was arrested from the Khokhrapar area.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has announced an amnesty for its workers who had changed loyalties and joined the Haqiqis at the time of the operation cleanup back in 1992. The amnesty does not include those who were involved in murders.
Though flags and banners of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement have been unfurled after 12 long years and corner meetings have been addressed by the Muttahida leaders, the rival groups have reportedly exchanged threats over the playing of Altaf Hussain’s cassettes and also over the pitching of shamianas.
The elected Muttahida leaders have, however, promised to help resolve the area’s basic problems, including regular supply of water. During the last 12 years some of the areas have remained particularly deprived of water.
At some places, posters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement have been disfigured by the rival group, especially in the volatile Khokhrapar area, where slogans of “Jeay Mohajir Jeay Pakistan” have been written after erasing slogans saying “Jeay Altaf”.
In the formerly “no-go areas” — the NA-256 and 257 constituencies, comprising, Saudabad, Khokhrapar, Liaquat Market, Jinnah Square, Model Colony, Faisal Colony, Sadat Colony, Al-Falah and Green Town — the Muttahida Qaumi Movement has started opening its party offices. The people are in a fix as those seen earlier with the Haqiqis are now working for the ruling Muttahida Qaumi Movement while some people don’t want themselves to be exposed before the emergence of a clear picture.
Meanwhile, tension in certain areas has been attributed to election related manoeuvring for NA-255 seat in Landhi (the headquarters of MQM Haqiqi) which fell vacant after the death of Haqiqi MNA Mahmood Hussain Qureshi.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which had contested the elections “remotely” and had lost the seat, is now endeavouring feverishly to win. In this frenzy, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal too is a party, as it was second best in the previous elections.
The area’s people fear an outbreak of fresh violence in the backdrop of elections and have demanded effective precautionary steps in Malir and Shah Faisal Colony because anti-social elements might try to disturb peace.
Moreover, they fear that in case of a change in the political scenario, there might be lawlessness once again. A large number of people were targeted and killed after the launching of operation clean-up against the MQM in 1992, they recall.
