ON May 13, Dawn published a letter by Iqbal Ahmed in response to the article ‘Spirit of the arts lobby’ (May 9) by ‘left-leaning Abbas Nasir’, as Mr Ahmed refers to him. Apparently, for Mr Ahmed, being left-leaning is a crime.

On that same day, Karachi was participating in the mourning and burial of 45 innocent men and women massacred by right-leaning religious extremists nurtured by right-leaning political parties.

Mr Ahmed attempted a distorted version. Zia banned students unions in colleges and universities, but opened the field for the IJT to operate freely.

The IJT opened offices on university campuses. In Lahore colleges and campuses the IJT had desks where they scrutinised student applications, and approved these for admission — without their go-ahead students could not gain admission. College authorities had to follow their recommendations. They also threatened teaching staff, including senior professors.

The IJT formed thunder squads , which roamed about, brandishing firearms, terrorising people in major cities like Lahore and Karachi.

Suddenly a few days before the New Year’s Eve large banners appeared: ‘Celebrate New Year at the Risk of your Life’. Clubs, hotels and restaurants were warned of severe repercussions, including ransacking of premises, if celebrations were held on the new year’s eve. Prominent hotels were attacked by IJT Thunder Squads at that time.

Even major roads and the beach, a traditional gathering place for New Year celebrations, were not spared.This was the beginning of terrorism by extremists in Karachi.

As far as the popularity of the IJT is concerned, election results of Karachi University Students’ Union, when Mr Ishtiaq Hussain Qureishi was vice chancellor, reflect the same picture. Mr Hussein Naqi of NSF contested against the IJT candidate and won. The IJT did not accept this result and prevailed upon the VC to declare the election null and void, and order re-polling. The VC did so — and Hussein Naqi won by an even larger margin.

It is good news that Abbas Nasir is left-leaning; the country needs left-leaning, liberal journalists, intellectuals, writers, poets, performing artists, doctors, lawyers, professionals and politicians — not extremists.

Anis Haroon, Hilda Saeed, Saleem Asmi, Zain Alavi, Dr Haroon Ahmed and Mazhar Saeed

Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2015

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