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Since 1985, violence and terrorism in Karachi have never really come to an end - only paused between big incidents of sabotage and terrorism. This violence is sometimes political, sometimes linguistic, sometimes ethnic, sometimes religious, sometimes sectarian, and sometimes unknown. As Karachi has a population of more than 15 million and these people belong to different factions representing politics, languages, ethnicity, religions, sects, etc., there erupt differences on issues among them that leads to small-scale and large-scale violence. Although the warring factions are less involved in launching terrorist activities against each other and the “hidden hand” becomes active to disintegrate the unity, peace and tranquility of the country generally and the city especially, but the opposing factions are also responsible, to some extent, for providing the terrorists with an opportunity to resort to such heinous activities.
Karachi’s big and somewhat poor class locality, Lyari, has been under a constant cold war and terrorist activity for the last many years, which has resulted in an extensive loss of life since the bloodshed started. Most of the families of the area have been compelled to leave their houses and take shelter somewhere else. Those living in the area are suffering from a number of hardships as the warring groups emerge suddenly and start indiscriminate firing, compelling the area people, including men, women, children and the elderly, to confine themselves in their houses, located in narrow lanes which have no other way to come out of the locality. This exercise continues for several days and the inhabitants suffer from a shortage of food, water and other necessities along with the fear of becoming a victim of cross firing. The people have suffered so much that they have left the area, leaving their properties abandoned. Besides Lyari, other localities of the city, too, are also under constant threats of victimization and terrorism. The localities having a majority of a particular ethnic, linguistic or political group exercise all their powers to disband and terrorize their rivals in the area.

In the first week of this month (July 7, to be exact), Karachiites once again experienced a wave of violence. This was a series of seven bomb blasts in a span of one hour in the adjoining areas of Orangi Town, Qasba Colony, Banaras and North Nazimabad. As a result of these blasts, two precious lives were lost and another 50 people, including eight children, were injured.
The first bomb exploded at Bacha Khan Chowk in the jurisdiction of the Pirabad Police Station at about 5:45 pm. Not five minutes later, another blast occurred near Zainab Market in the Orangi Town Police Station jurisdiction. The injured in these two blasts were still being shifted to hospitals that a third explosion was reported from Sharea Noor Jehan in North Nazimabad. Almost at the same time, the fourth bomb exploded, that was planted in a van in Paharh Ganj (North Nazimabad) area. After a few minutes, another bomb fixed in a motorcycle at Qasba More in Pirabad Police Station went off. Suddenly, one after another, two explosions occurred in the heaps of garbage in Hafiz Gali of Pak Colony. In the last two blasts, ten including six children who were close to the garbage were injured. After these blasts, an emergency was declared in all the government hospitals of Karachi. Those who got minor injuries in the blasts were sent back to their homes after getting medical aid whereas the critically injured were admitted into the hospitals. At the location of the explosions, Rangers were deputed and a high alert was declared in the city. The news of the explosions had engulfed the entire city in terror and panic and the markets and shopping centers of the city were closed before Maghrib. Traffic vanished from the roads and the city gave a deserted look. The policemen on leave were recalled and additional troops of police and paramilitary forces were convened. All the political leaders, including those in government, strongly condemned the heinous activity, terming it the cowardly act of anti-Pakistan forces and appealed to the citizens to be united.
According to the prime minister, these explosions aimed to destabilize the government and were a conspiracy of anti-Pakistan and anti-Islam forces. He said that he and his government were determined to foil the evil plans of these elements. His views, no doubt, indicate his sentiments to contend with the challenges and problems faced by the people of Pakistan. But here the question arises: what steps have been taken at government level to cope with the intensity of the ongoing situation, to stabilize the government writ, to maintain the political and economic stability, especially to give relief to the poor masses in connection with materializing the slogan of “Roti, kapra aur makaan”?
This is an established fact that the fundamental responsibility of the government is to provide security of life and property to the citizens and to ensure provision of basic commodities at low and affordable prices after controlling inflation. Besides, diminishing poverty and overpowering unemployment is also considered an important part of the government’s responsibilities. If the present government’s initial 100 days are analyzed, the government is seen silent on providing answers as to which promises (according to the Murree Accord) it will be able to keep or which problem of the masses can be addressed. Neither the issue of the judiciary could be solved nor have the masses been given relief. According to statistics prepared by the government, its different agencies and by some international organizations, in the early 100 days of the government, inflation has gone to 30 percent, which is a record in such a minimum time. Due to the crises of electricity, gas and petrol, a large number of industrial and commercial units have been closed down and, as a result, lacs of workers have been unemployed. The inflation, unemployment and hunger-stricken people have become helpless and all this has resulted in corruption, dacoity, violence and terrorism.
The ogre of terrorism and extremism has brought the country to a sensitive point. On February 18, when the “sun of democracy” appeared, the masses were delighted and were fantasizing with a ray of hope in their eyes. They had a number of dreams which were going to come true in the twinkle of an eye. They were sure enough that democracy would provide the remedy to their sufferings and hardships and the country would march on the highways of peace, equality, justice, progress, prosperity and economic and social development after coming out of the darkness of hunger, helplessness and crises. They were also hopeful that the commitment of rulers with democracy will now bear fruit and the afflictions and ogres they had faced in the era of previous governments, would now be compensated in any form of peace and rest. They started hoping for relief but alas! The dreams of democracy and the masses are still to come true. The law and order situation across the country is deteriorating day by day and the incidents of bomb blasts and suicide explosions have again been started with full intensity. The ongoing situation is no less than a challenge and question mark for the government.
The episode of seven bomb blasts in Karachi engulfed the whole city in its terror whereas due to panic, rumors and fear, a law and order situation was also created in the affected areas. The said localities continued echoing with the sound of firing and fire crackers and a number of vehicles, shops and houses were set ablaze and destroyed. The area people also came out on the roads to protest against the incidents. One day, prior to these bomb blasts in Karachi, a suicide bomb detonation had also occurred in Islamabad. An astonishing thing in this regard is that these explosions took place after the tours of the President and Prime Minister to Karachi ended and that most of the bombs were detonated in the Pakhtoon-majority areas. This is also an alarming indication that some unknown forces once again want to push Karachi into ethnic and sectarian violence, which has claimed thousands of precious lives over the last 23 years.
Karachi, the city of lights and the largest city of Pakistan, was peaceful before 1985 and there were no major differences among the citizens on ethnic, religious or sectarian grounds. The violence erupted in the city actually during the tenure of former Sindh CM, Ghous Ali Shah, in April 1985 when a college girl was crushed to death under the wheels of a mini bus in Nazimabad that resulted in the Pathan-Mohajir armed clashes in the city. These clashes led to different types of brawls and continue till today. According to statistics, since then, about 35,000 people have been killed in Karachi. Although the recent incidents of bomb blasts in Karachi were an act of terrorism, some quarters tried to give it an anti-Pakhtoon twist, but the serious elements did not pay heed towards the conspiracy which is a positive sign. The citizens of Karachi should refute all such rumors and conspiracies and should be united for the sake of peace in the city and in the province.n