Comment by Riaz Haq on April 14, 2015 at 10:05pm

On a muggy evening this July, I was in a car with two colleagues on my way to a wealthy suburb of Karachi, where we were shooting a soap opera. As we drove down a heavily trafficked bridge, our car screeched to a halt—a dozen men in their early twenties had surrounded us. When our driver got out and gestured with his hand, as if to ask, "Why are you stopping us?" one of the men hurled a large rock toward the windshield. It shattered. The driver jumped back inside and locked the doors. As I dove to the floor, another rock slammed against the glass.

The incident took place during the month of Ramadan, an hour after the end of the daily fast. The police officers that normally trawl high-security zones, such as the bridge, had left to pray. It was the perfect time for disaffected youth to launch a protest. To our shock and relief, the mob soon turned its attention to the burning of spare car tires, which they had brought along, chanting anti-government slogans. But what if they had decided instead to torch our car and those lined up behind us on the bridge?

As Laurent Gayer shows in his vivid book, "Karachi: Ordered Disorder and the Struggle for the City," this sort of violence is an everyday reality for the city's 20 million citizens. In this, Mr. Gayer argues, Karachi is a "microcosm" of Pakistan, and the fault lines that run through the city—criminality, sectarian turf wars and political violence—run through the country itself.

Once described to American soldiers posted there during World War II as the "Paris of the East," the fate of the buzzing port city shifted beginning in the early 1970s. In a two year period, from 1971 to 1973, an Islamic constitution was adopted and Bangladesh was born amidst much bloodshed. Unlike Punjab, over which a well-known center-right party had begun strengthening its hold, Karachi's territory was as yet unclaimed, and so Pakistan's most cosmopolitan city became a site for violent political clashes.

Yet before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, access to and demand for firearms in Pakistan was limited. To be sure, there were brawls between rightist and leftist groups competing for dominance at Karachi's universities, where local politics coalesced in the decades following partition in 1947. But it was only when Pakistan entered the Afghan fight against the Soviets with the support of the U.S. that the black market was flooded with guns. Kalashnikovs replaced sticks and stones in campus fights. In the northwestern Frontier Province, writes Mr. Gayer, the price of an AK-47 fell from 40,000 rupees in 1980 to 16,000 rupees in 1989, with inflation running as high as 10% during the decade. "The sudden influx of firearms," he writes, "contributed to the rapid escalation of political conflicts that, until then, had remained relatively benign." Then-dictator Gen. Zia-ul-Haq, whose unapologetic aim was to Islamize Pakistan, didn't do anything to defuse the situation: According to Mr. Gayer, Zia once congratulated the country's most powerful Islamist student organization, which had begun storing arms in the campus dormitories, for " 'the splendid job of maintaining peace on campus and the safety of Islam.' "

------

Because of its colonial history, its capitalist economy and its diversity of language and people, Karachi was once regarded as Pakistan's most secular city. Mr. Gayer's book explodes that myth. He shows that Karachi was as much a part of Pakistan's embrace of political Islam as any other place in the country. And though the author doesn't say so directly, his reporting speaks for itself: The idea of a secular Pakistan—where religion is distinct from the business of the state—is nearly extinct.

Still, there are pockets of productivity in Karachi and one wishes that Mr. Gayer had also told the stories of the nonviolent entrepreneurs who exist in Pakistan's "only megalopolis." Karachi is home to a booming news and entertainment industry, yet there is no mention in the book that hundreds of soap operas and serials are shot every year in the city and exported to India, where they have quickly attracted a cult following. When I finally arrived on set after the ordeal on the bridge, I told the other actors what had happened. There were murmurs of sympathy. One of my female co-stars looked up from her cell phone. "Thank Allah you are alive. By the way, today you should wear that coral pink lipstick. It looks delicious on you."

http://www.wsj.com/articles/book-review-karachi-by-laurent-gayer-14...

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 30, 2015 at 8:24am

MQM Leader Altaf Hussain:

"The division of the Indian sub-continent was the biggest blunder in the history of mankind".

"Perhaps the idea of Pakistan was dead at its inception, when the majority of Muslims chose to stay back after independence, a truism reiterated in the creation of Bangladesh in 1971".

— Altaf Hussain's Keynote Speech at conference in New Delhi on 6 November 2004

https://books.google.com/books?id=Gr5IoddTKb8C&pg=PR1&lpg=P...

Comment by Riaz Haq on May 6, 2015 at 10:15am

#MQM chief #AltafHussain inches away from being arrested in #London #England: George Galloway https://shar.es/1pSgTg via @sharethis

LONDON: Member of UK parliament George Galloway on Wednesday claimed that the Scotland Yard was just inches away from arresting Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain.

In a statement, George Galloway said Altaf Hussain's era of tyranny is nearing its logical end.

Galloway said he had, in the past, warned the MQM chief of lodging a case against him in UK but now such a move is no longer needed.

He advised the MQM chief to abandon the practice of 'murders and creation of chaos' in Karachi from his ‘base’ in London.

George Galloway is an elected member of British parliament from Bradford West - a Muslim majority area.

Comment by Riaz Haq on June 11, 2015 at 9:20am

#MQM, #PPP, other parties extort over Rs. 230 billion in #Karachi every year: DG Rangers. #Pakistan https://shar.es/12wLhC via ShareThis​
A briefing by the DG Rangers told the Sindh Apex Committee meeting that millions of rupees are distributed amongst gang-war factions in Karachi.

According to a press release, DG Rangers Maj Gen Bilal Akbar gave a detailed briefing to the Apex Committee meeting that was held a day earlier, regarding the Karachi situation.

The DG Rangers revealed that over Rs.230 billion is collected illegally in Karachi annually.

The briefing went on to say that this money is used for the purchase of arms and ammunition.

It was also noted that money is coerced out in the form of alms for the same purpose.

The briefing further said that most crime is committed by a large party in Karachi.

The DG Rangers went on to say that a large part of illegal businesses in the city is the distribution system of water which also involved illegal means of making money – in millions of rupees.

The briefing also noted that the money made from sale of sacrificial animal hides is used for funding terrorist activities.

Regarding land grabbing in Karachi, the DG Rangers said that political parties, the City Government, District Administration, and police personnel are all involved in the activity.

He added that the amount made from land-grabbing is used by political and religious parties to operate their armed wings.

He went on to say that there are three types of land-grabbing being carried out in the metropolis including grabbing of government land and property as well as grabbing of private property.

The DG Rangers added that the funds from the mentioned activities are used for gang-warfare amongst factions in Lyari as well as other areas of the city and also distributed amongst some important dignitaries in Sindh.

Illegal marriage halls, unlawful car parking business, match-fixing, and money laundering all play an important role in promoting terrorism in Karachi, the press release stated.

It added that cyber-crime, beggar mafia, and external funding of seminaries also endorse terrorism.

Regarding income sourced from Iranian diesel, the DG Rangers revealed that it is also a major source of funding crime as well as terrorism.

He added that this amount is also used to provide for political groups in Sindh as well as armed groups of land lords.

He further said that a systematic and regular distribution is in place for these amounts to reach certain influential people.

Comment by Riaz Haq on June 20, 2015 at 10:28pm

Hundreds, including key #Sindh #PPP ministers and bureaucrats banned from fleeing #Pakistan. #Karachi https://shar.es/1qapxA via ShareThis​

Sources told The News that the federal government had directed the FIA Immigration Wing not to allow seven provincial ministers, four former ministers, 20 MPAs and 8 MNAs of the PPP and over 100 officers of the Sindh government to leave the country and seek clearance from the law enforcement agencies in this regard.

These persons have been placed on the ‘Stop Person Watch List’ for their alleged involvement in corruption, land grabbing, patronage of criminals and other charges.Sources said all those on the watch list were yet to be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL); however, if any of them tried to escape, he would be arrested and charged as enough incriminating evidence had been collected against them.

The Sindh government spokesman and Information Minister Sharjeel Memon is staying away from the media despite many attempts to contact them.The phone numbers of provincial minister Manzoor Wassan, Gian Chand, Jam Shoro and Mumtaz Jakhrani were also not responding.

Sources said DG Rangers had sought the federal government’s permission to arrest 26 top corrupt persons including ministers, MPAs, MNAs and officers.However, by Saturday evening over 107 persons had filed applications with various courts for protective and pre-arrest bail.

They included several politicians, ministers, senior bureaucrats of Revenue Department and commissioner Benazirabad.The sources said investigators had got conclusive evidences of corruption in the Sindh Local Government Department and its subordinate departments including KMC, Water and Sewerage Board, Sindh Building Control Authority and Sindh Irrigation Department.

These departments were under the control of an unauthorized person who is a close relative of the leader of the main ruling party in Sindh.The Sindh Information Department, Finance Department, Coal and Energy, Works and Services, Education, Excise and Health department are also under investigation.

On the other hand, sources confirmed that the arrested Fishermen’s Cooperative Society (FCS) Vice Chairman Sultan Qamar Siddiqi and two directors Muhammad Khan Chachar and Rana Shahid had confessed to their involvement in embezzlement of funds of the Society, land grabbing, patronizing of criminal gangs and murders.

Siddiqi was arrested on June 17, while Muhammad Khan Chachar, Rana Shahid and Coordinator Kamran Abbasi were arrested on June 19 (Friday). The Anti-Terrorism Court had granted their 90 days remand on the Rangers request.

The Rangers law officer informed the court that Muhammad Khan Chachar was the front man of a woman leader and he had to be investigated in several cases including the killing of chairman Pakistan Steel Mills Sajjad Hussain.

He also said Chachar used to sell government vacancies to different people, while Rana Shahid and Abbasi were required for investigation into criminal cases including extortion and target killings.

Well-placed sources in the law enforcement agencies told The News that Muhammad Khan Chachar was a hardened criminal and remained co-accused with the PPP top leadership in many criminal cases including the murder case of former Steal Mills Chairman Sajjad Hussain.

Muhammad Khan Chachar was convicted in the case by a trial court and was later released by the Sindh High Court.

Chachar was also convicted in a murder attempt case of Imran Aziz Khan, son of former Lahore High Court Chief Justice Rashid Aziz Khan, and in murder case of his friend Ghulam Mustafa.

In the said case, Chachar was also convicted but released after his compromise with the heirs of the murdered Ghulam Mustafa.The sources said Rana Shahid was also involved in many criminal activities. He was the gang leader of Punjabi Students Associations (PSA) and joined the gang of Dr. Nisar Morai some two years back.

Comment by Riaz Haq on June 26, 2015 at 10:48am

#BBC reporter @OwenBennettJone on #GeoTV @shahzebkhanzda stands by his story of #MQM funding by #India's #RAW 

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2vggjy_owen-bennett-jones-intervi... …

#BBC reporter @OwenBennettJone stands by his story of #MQM funding by #India's #RAW #AltafHussain 

http://tribune.com.pk/story/910034/mqm-funding-owen-bennett-jones-s... …

Comment by Riaz Haq on June 26, 2015 at 10:55am

Excerpt of "Transcending divisions: the consolidation of Pakistan" by Benazir Bhutto published in 1996 in Harvard International Review:

Occasionally, the question is raised if national integration has succeeded equally in the province of Sindh. In the past, Sindh often resisted the national government, but this resistance stemmed largely from Sindhis' opposition to military rule from Islamabad. Most recently, Sindh has shown two opposite trends: on the one hand, the PPP swept rural Sindh and brought it into the national mainstream, defusing past sentiment for Sindhi independence. On the other hand, the Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM) swept urban Sindh in those elections and continues to agitate against the established government. The MQM claims to represent the Muhajirs, those Muslims who immigrated to Pakistan from India since the time of partition in 1947. Arguing that the Muhajirs form a distinct ethnic group in Pakistan that had been denied its share of national economic opportunities, the MQM tragically opted out of the democratic process and resorted to extraconstitutional and violent means to achieve its objectives. It has shattered the peace of Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and one that absorbed much of the immigrant population in the past fifty years, through its compulsively violent tactics and the external assistance provided to it by a foreign power.

The MQM, using a warped version of the ideology of Pakistan, recruited a significant number of malcontents into its clandestine army. The bulk of the Muhajir community, fortunately, kept itself away from this Nazi-style organization and showed a clear preference for democratic dialogue rather than terrorism. This factor has been instrumental in limiting terrorism only to some parts of Karachi. The Pakistan government has taken a two-fold approach to the MQM: it will combat MQM terrorism, and it will at the same time engage in a political dialogue with the MQM and implement vigorous social and economic measures for the uplift of Karachi. The city has grown much too fast for its civic and commercial institutions to keep pace with its expansion, and the government has therefore developed a master plan to redress this situation at every level, from improving mass transit to expanding adequate job opportunities.

The threat posed by MQM terrorism would actually pose only a marginal problem were it not for the unfortunate fact that in South Asia, violent movements fall easy prey to external manipulation. At a time when most countries of the world are engaging in the formation of trading blocs within the parameters of a globalizing economy, South Asia continues to pay a heavy price for the old-fashioned hegemonic ambitions of the largest South Asian state. India's vaulting aspirations to project power in the region and beyond has affected South Asia at several levels. Precious resources needed for social action have been diverted to military expenditure. The region faces the most serious nuclear threat in the world today, aggravated by great advances made by India in missile technology. Above all, not a single state in South Asia has escaped gross interference in its internal affairs. Even the smallest of states, which pose no conceivable threat to their great neighbor, have seen this interference plunge them into long periods of internal turmoil. It is unfortunate that India did not resist the temptation to contribute support to MQM terrorism; at a number of locations in India, scores of MQM activists continue to be transformed into terrorists. South Asia will have a bleak future if such cross-border interference, masterminded by overgrown intelligence services, continues. The political process will resolve the MQM problem in Karachi, and Indian interference will result only in injecting avoidable tension into interstate relations.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/article/Harvard-International-Revi...

Comment by Riaz Haq on July 3, 2015 at 9:08am

A London police spokesperson  has told Pakistani media that a document titled “Pre-interview briefing" prepared for Sarfaraz Merchant "appears to be a genuine police document". The document was prepared to brief Sarfaraz Anwar Merchant on April 15, 2015 who was interviewed by London Metropolitan Police at Belgravia Police Station in presence of officers DC Stuart Mathews and DC Stephen Waterworth. It says that “Interviews under caution were conducted with Tariq MIR and Mohammad ANWAR in 2012 in relation to a separate investigation. During the interviews both Mr MIR and Mr ANWAR stated that MQM was receiving funding from the Indian government.”

The latest document acknowledged to be genuine by the London Police also says: “There is evidence that Mr HUSSAIN and members of the MQM have breached Pakistani Electoral legislation in as much as they have received ‘prohibited’ funds from the Indian government. This also constitutes breaches of criminal offenses under Pakistan and UK legislation thereby making the cash and assets criminal property.”

An alleged document of the transcript of Tariq Mir's interrogation leaked earlier has been disowned by the London Police. However, the Police did not comment on the veracity of the contents of the transcripts.

These documents have surfaced since the release of a BBC story by Owen Bennett Jones alleging that some MQM leaders, including Altaf Husain, have been receiving money from India's intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

What began as murder investigation after the London killing of former MQM leader Imran Farooq later expanded to include money laundering after the discovery of several hundred thousand British Pounds in cash at MQM chief Altaf Husain's residence.  It was this turn of events that led to interrogation of Mr. Tariq Mir, the MQM party finance manager in the UK, and others, including Mohammad Anwar and Sarfaraz Merchant.

Evidence of Indian funding of Baloch insurgents, TTP militants and Karachi's MQM is mounting every day. The pattern seems to fit the Indian strategy of proxy war against Pakistan that has been articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval  as follows: "How do we tackle Pakistan? .. You make it difficult for them (Pakistan) to manage their internal security... Pakistan's vulnerability is many many times higher than India's....Taliban have beheaded 23 of their (Pakistani) soldiers...funding can be countered by giving more funds...more than one-and-a-half times the funding they have available and they'll be yours..the Taliban are mercenaries...go for more of a covert thing"

http://www.riazhaq.com/2015/07/london-met-police-confirm-document.html

Comment by Riaz Haq on July 6, 2015 at 8:11am

10 dead, 52 injured after violent holiday weekend in #Chicago #IndependenceDay #Chiraq #guncontrol http://go.wgntv.com/1LS97fv via @WGNNews

Despite stepped up police presence across Chicago, it was another violent and deadly weekend across the city.

Ten people were killed and 52 others were injured in shootings since Thursday afternoon.

The number of shootings was down from the Fourth of July weekend last year, but more people were killed.

Police superintendent Garry McCarthy called for an end to the violence, after a 7-year-old boy was among those fatalities.

Amari Brown was shot after someone opened fire just before midnight Saturday in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. He was pronounced dead early Sunday at Stroger Hospital. Relatives say the boy had been celebrating with family when he was shot.

The boy’s father, who would not speak with WGN, is a documented gang member who police said was the intended target.

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 8, 2015 at 10:34am

Indian Supreme Court Justice Markandey Katju on India's Criminal Organizations
I regard the Congress and the BJP as criminal organizations.
In 1984 that criminal gangster Indira Gandhi, who imposed a fake ' Emergency' in 1975 in India in order to hold on to power after she had been declared guilty of corrupt election practices by the Allahabad High Court, an ' Emergency' in which even the right to life was suspended, and lacs of Indians were falsely imprisoned, was assassinated.
As a reaction,the Congress Party led by Rajiv Gandhi organized a slaughter of thousands of innocent Sikhs, many of whom were burnt alive by pouring petrol or kerosene on them and setting them on fire. When there were protests against this horrendous crime, Rajiv Gandhi said ' jab bada ped girta hai, dharti hil jaati hai' ( when a big tree falls, the earth shakes ). It is believed that he gave oral instructions to the police not to interfere with the massacres for 3 days ( see my blog ' The Sikh riots of 1984 ' on justice.blogspot.in )..
Soon after these horrible massacres, elections to the Lok Sabha was declared, and Congress swept the polls on this emotional wave winning a record 404seats in the 532 seat Lok Sabha, while BJP won only 2 seats.
In 2002 the massacre of Muslims was organized in Gujarat by BJP led by our friend ( see my blog ' All the Perfumes of Arabia ), and the result was that BJP has been regularly winning the Gujarat elections ever since, and has even won the Lok Sabha elections in 2014.
So the message which has been sent is loud and clear : organize massacre of some minority in India, and you will sweep the polls. Never mind how much misery you cause to many people.
Are not the Congress and BJP, and even many smaller political parties, which are responsible for horrible deeds and for systematically looting the country of a huge amount of money for decades, and for causing such terrible sufferings and misery to the people, criminal organizations, most of whose members deserve the gallows ?

https://www.facebook.com/justicekatju/posts/961551557218724

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