KARACHI, Dec 26: The reluctance of the Sunni Tehrik and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement to defuse tension following Tuesday’s violence sparked by a police raid on the ST headquarters has fuelled fears of more violent episodes in the run-up to the Jan 8 polls.
Leaders of the two parties put conditions for talks with each other to move ahead with peaceful campaigns for the upcoming polls. The city has witnessed a couple of violent incidents in a single week, both incidentally involving the MQM.
The MQM, which is tipped to win most parliamentary seats from Karachi, openheartedly welcomed negotiations with the Awami National Party (ANP) following the Dec 17 incident on Abul Hasan Ispahani Road in which a passer-by was killed.
But unlike the previous gesture, it believes this time the ST should take the first step, as the MQM claims the ST’s workers were instrumental in inciting Tuesday’s violence, which also led to the killing of a young Muttahida activist.
“We want political parties to first remove miscreants from their ranks to pave the way for any talks,” said Faisal Sabzwari, a former MQM MPA who is now contesting the upcoming elections from PS-126. “I will not name any party, but there are certain elements within the political parties which want to damage Karachi’s political environment,” he added.
He ruled out any talks with rival parties under the threat they had allegedly been posing through violence and defying law and order.
‘The stakeholders of Karachi’
“We are the major stakeholders of Karachi as we attracted hard-earned investment and initiated development projects for the city,” said Mr Sabzwari. “Who else other than the MQM would be more willing to maintain peace in the city? But the efforts should be two-way and sincere,” he added.
After the MQM worker’s death on Tuesday, the party’s stand reflects understanding within its ranks that it would not initiate the dialogue process that may lead to reconciliation with the Sunni Tehrik, which the Muttahida claims is not in a position to win a single seat.
The ST, which has not yet enjoyed presence in the national or provincial assemblies, appears firm to continue with its election campaign but is not ready for talks with the MQM to ensure a lasting peace.
‘We will retaliate’
“We will retaliate if we are victimized,” warned Shahid Ghori, central leader of the Sunni Tehrik. “The caretaker government, which has been under the pressure of the MQM, has forced us to do so, as we have been left stranded to face vandals.”
He said the party had first approached the provincial interior minister after its headquarters were raided but did not receive any positive response. He alleged the police force and the state machinery were being used to support only a single party and in the current situation, peace talks could never prove fruitful.
“Actually, we are not against talks. But the administration’s mood, coupled with the MQM’s aggression, doesn’t suggest that it is possible,” added Mr Ghori. “We were expecting a response from the government quarters on the victimization of the ST, but there has been no sign of justice under the present set-up,” he said.
The situation has set the alarm bells ringing in government quarters, with officials agreeing with the concerns that the stiffness being showed by the parties may further ignite the crisis days after the fears of ethnic violence were removed following talks between the MQM and ANP.
A senior official said the government had approached the parties to maintain tolerance and avoid agitation, violence and the use of force against each other. However, he agreed if the request went unheard, it might further deepen the crisis.
“We can’t place armed policemen at every election office and public meeting,” he said on the condition of anonymity. “The parties must understand that election campaigns have a role to play in the city’s peace and law and order situation. The campaigns have been symbolic to judge any city’s tolerance and law and order level.”
‘The parties’ responsibility’
He said the Sindh home department had asked the two sides and other parties to be tolerant, particularly during the election campaign and on polling day, but added that the law and order situation would mainly depend on the parities’ response.
“We fear that if they don’t respond, the situation would remain tense. So, there is an immense responsibility of the parties rather than the police and the security agencies,” he said. The official’s concerns matched the warnings made by the ST leadership.
“Of course, we don’t think the situation is going to change in a big way,” said Shahid Ghori, whose party has fielded eight candidates for the National Assembly seats and 18 for the provincial assembly seats only from Karachi. “One must find the core reason behind any resistance or violence before expecting something positive only from one side,” he said.
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