KARACHI, Sept 25: Amid fast-changing political occurrences at the national level, apprehension and fear – and not enthusiasm and excitement – mark the mood of the masses in Karachi about possible repercussions of these happenings on life in the metropolis. The feeling is strong and pervasive enough for all the three main political stakeholders in the city – the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the Pakistan People’s Party and the Jamaat-i-Islami – to acknowledge its presence though they cite differing reasons behind it.
While the latter two point accusing fingers at the former, Deputy Convener of the MQM Central Coordination Committee Dr Farooq Sattar, talking to Dawn, conceded that the apprehension among the people was “not totally misplaced.” Any change in the federal setup, he said, was expected to have a spiral effect on the politics of Sindh, especially Karachi. “If, for whatever reason, President Pervez Musharraf gets replaced by a setup with the mindset of Asif Nawaz and Naseerullah Babar, there is bound to be bloodshed in the city,” he warned, referring to the former army chief and interior minister who carried out a lingering operation against the MQM back in the ‘90s.
According to Dr Sattar, the people of Karachi are frightened because they realize that whenever the MQM is seated on the Opposition benches, “it is treated differently from any conventional opposition party.” If that happens again, he warns, the MQM would be in no position to restrain party cadres and activists who take control of the happenings under such circumstances.
Ironically, statements and assertions like these lie at the very core of the feelings of fear and uncertainty among ordinary people Dawn spoke to. They represent a cross-section of the population, from the daily wage-earner to the corporate executive and inhabiting areas from the remote Surjani Town to the posh Clifton.
They point to the rising temperature in political rhetoric in the last few months, which, they stress, needs to be seen together with the simultaneous rise in the number of violent incidents, like the happenings of May 12, the assassination of two lawyers and the targeted killing of student activists in the last few days.
Adding to their worries is the rise in incidents of street crime and robberies across the city. More protective grills, more close circuit cameras, more safety alarms and more security guards are in use today, they argue, than was the case a year ago. It is some indication of the prevailing fear that none of these individuals could agree to go public with their identity.
A doctor, who has a history of active politics behind him and who now runs a clinic in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, summed up the feelings of many. “Politics is no longer my cup of tea. All I want now is the liberty to come to my clinic without having to think twice, not having to keep an eye on my wristwatch when my sons go to their colleges, and to be able to drive freely without feeling the cold in my spine every time a motorcycle stops next to my vehicle at some traffic signal. By the looks of things in the city, I quite realise that I may well be asking for the moon,” he exclaimed.
To people with frayed nerves, Dr Farooq Sattar had some solace to offer. The world today, he said, was a different entity than what it was like in the 1990s. “Neither the MQM nor the establishment would be interested in repeating and reliving the past. I don’t think things will touch rock bottom in the city again,” he said.
The PPP’s Nisar Khuhro, who is the leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly, and central Jamaat-i-Islami leader Prof Ghafoor Ahmad, however, painted a grim picture, accusing the MQM of instilling fear in people.
“Fear is a tool to cause alienation from mainstream politics so that the vested interests could be served without too many people poking their nose. The recent spate of killings in Karachi is just an attempt to tamper with the mindset of the people. Anyone on the opposition benches just cannot afford to face an alienated electorate. It is only the party in power that indulges in such below-the-belt tactics,” he said.
Prof Ghafoor chose to wag a more pointed finger. “The MQM is unstoppable. When people are killed and the Rangers personnel remain silent spectators, everyone knows what is going on. People, indeed, are afraid and they shall fear for their lives in the days ahead,” he said with a tinge of resignation in his voice.
In response to the criticism, Dr Farooq Sattar offered a qualified argument, saying his party had nothing to hide. “We have always abided by the Constitution and will continue to do that. Any retaliation would come only if the MQM is pushed to the wall.” Therein lies the trouble as far as the citizens of the city are concerned.
