KARACHI
KARACHI
INTRODUCTION
Multi faced violence claiming 7000 souls since 2008
Political and economic Destabilization as city contributes 25% to GDP
Armed wings of political parties
Ethnopolitical violence
Extremist groups consolidating power
State initiative are ad hoc
High level internetion of SC and ARMY temporary relief
Karachi stability: power sharing agreement among the political parties
54% OF Government taxes.70% of national income tax and 30% of industrial output
Rs. 2 billion daily revenue
Breaking down of violence of daily basis hampers this revenue collection
Trade loss of USD 3 billion and industry USD 1.5 billion
Serious implication for US-PAKISTAN bilateral relations as for the docking of NATO supply lines and afghan transit trade goods being processed here
Violence is used as leverage in provincial and federal politics
KARACHI’S MULTIFACED VIOLENCE
EHTNOPOLITICAL VIOLENCE
Rise in 2010,11,12
1000 target killings in 2011 and 1891 in 2011.
Mainly political arm groups
Main rift between Mohajir representing MQM and pashtun representative ANP.
ANP 2,PPP 6,MQM 34 of Provincial assembly seats in Karachi
22% pashtun as compared to 12% in 1998
300,000 pashtuns migrated after military operations
Fear of MQM to lose grip over Karachi
48% mohajirs
MQM in a Rush to show power for upcoming elections
PPP-MQM rivalry holds ground in sindhi mohajir rift since the time of partition
Sindhi mohajir conflict has created a similar rift for local government system
MQM supports SLGO distributing pwers facilitating one party control over Karachi
Electoral violence eminent
CRIME
Overall apathy of law and order
Official statistics gross under estimates
Criminal gangs operating under the flagship of political parties
Land mafia
Sparking of ethnic violence for land acquisition
Ittehad town clash of ANP and MQM 2011 for Christian land for twoo days and no business for a week in area
Flags posted to make ethnic zones
Most powerful gangs in Layari, stronghold of PPP. People Aman Committee being the major player and de facto arm wing of PPP due to huge funds created by PAC from criminal activities
Despite Ban, PAC continues activities
Death of reham n dakait in aug 2008 have generated leadership conflict an in turn GANG RIFTS in layari
EXTORTION
Political clash for huge funds through extortion
Rs. 12 million daily collected from city
SC hearing and Rehman Malik: MQM,PPPP,ANP , Sunni tehrik and jamat-e-islami main beneficiary
Over the time brutal extortion techanqiues have been changed into fund raising and charities for poltical parties
Traders complain that these campaigns are threat to their businesss
MILTANCY
AFGHAN TALIBAN
Feb 2010,Mullah badar caught
DOMESTIC SIDE
LAND
Struggle for land between sindhis, mohajir and pashtun
Political ties of land mafia
Illegal developments due to outside settlements
POPULATION STRUGGLE
18 million… 25 times then at the time of partition
Growth b/w 1941-61 was 432%.. “a rate never achieved by anyother city ever in history
Current growth rate of 5.4% make it fastest growing of modern times
1million people migrate annually and slums growing at 1LAKH plots annually
Poor urban planning
Lack of government oversight
Increased pace of land acquisition
LACK OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
32,524 police officers for 18 million out of which 12,000 are on VIP security duties leaving a ratio of 900 civilain for one officer
Highly politicized police
IG SINDH: 40% are politically appointed
These political appointees unable to take action against criminal from their patron party
fear of repercussions make officers reluctant to act
since 1990’s rangers are deployed, governed by Major general and partially army men
empowering of rangers with police power at high times of violence
approx 7000 Rangers
need of regular policing informed by hyper-local information
WEAK JUDICIAL SYSTEM
More than 200 suspected militants were released
Most prominent criminals acquitted by district level or parallel Anit-terrorism courts
Ajmal paharhi, a well know extortionist was set free as no witness appeared against him
Lack of witness protection program
Backlog of cases
2012 start,320 cases pending in 3 ATCs of Karachi
Some cases awaiting hearing for 8 years
ATCs are chronically understaffed
Frequent adjournments
Flawed judicial appointment
Salaries of prosecuters and ATCs drawn from home department
Temprory nature of prosecutors
Faulty evidence gathering
Inadequate resources
Flawed interior legislation
The Anti-Terrorism act 1997 deeply flawed
Not specified offenses as suicide bombing.
Not applied to residents of FATA who are prosecuted under FRONTIER CRIMES REGULATION
Act facilitates acts of human right violation
MADRASAH AND EXTERMISM
Spreading religious extremism and sectarian violence
Government statistcs 1000 while civil society estimates are more than 3000
Mushroomed in recent years with high enrollment due to lack of resources for government schools
Jamia uloom islamia long supplied Deobandi miltants and help establish groups like harkat-ul-mujaheedin and jaish-e-Muhammad.
Important for miltant fundraising
No monitoring of funds moving in the name of charities
Production and distribution of sectarian publications
Sects see Madrasahs as the recruiting platform resulting in violent clashes for funds and land for madrasah
SSP-ST clashes are actually rift for land and funds
add to ethno-political tensions with immense street power
YOUTH BULDGE
Pakistan60% population is youth
Haunted by illetracy, corruption and un employment and entertainment
Criminal gangs are ultimate destiny
Pitty crimes as mobile and car thefts being commited between age of 16-21
TTP increasingly recruiting
UN-EMPLOYMENT
50% lives below poverty line
3million daily wage earners
Affected by the frequent closure of Karachi’s markets
Ethanic dimension: employers only hiring his own people.
SOCIOECONOMIC DISPARITIES
Wealth gap
Surge in crime rate
Urdu speaking and Punjabis are riches where as pashtuns and balouch make the poors
Great increase in pashtun wealth after NATO supply routes showing increase in influence of ANP
ANTI-VIOLENCE INTITIVES
Empowering rangers
Greater political consensus needed
In high times, given police pwers
DG rangers asked to make those powers permanent but Government declined
DEWEAPONIZATION OF KARACHI
Easy availability of weapons fuels violence
Rehman Malik, civil society, Major political parties have called for de weaponization since 2009
MQM presented a bill for country wide ban.. same happened in 2013 when first ANP asked for Karachi while MQM followed with country wide Ban… all a game of political point scoring
Many campaigns but not serious measures
July 2011-jan 2012 16,631 arms licenses
Digitization of arms license
Nov 2011 launching of program
Easier monitoring of illegal use
Month later, delocalized local government system was closed and the program was put to halt
Police recruitment
Gov officials and SC hearings emphasized over newly trained and non-political appointment
5 districts had new centers for anti-extortion but not budget
Banning groups
ASWJ and PAC banned
Banning send strong political message but no practical use as new namesakes arise
Army intervention
now ISI chief and then corps commander of Karachi Zaheer-ul-Islam engaged with political leaders of Karachi to bring back peace
aug 2011,Kayani said that army is ready to bring law and order in Karachi if asked by Government
NATO’s transit through Karachi and economic importance is well understood by Army
Army intervention not sustainable solutions
Undermine political parties and already weak democratic setup
Extra judicial killings and other human rights violation
Armed resistance in long run
Army might run shot term clean up operation but can’t conduct street-to-street policing
THE CHALLENGE OF STABILIZING KARACHI
Judiciary and army have reservations
Political consensus needed
Political actors dealing with city as feudal land holding
Transparent census is MUST for determination of political might and representation
Mohajir losing population in proportion and lacking a provincial base
In 30 years, pashtun’s shall out number Mohajirs
MQM rising to participate in national politics: Kashmir elections, new provinces, spoken against TTP
18th amendment’s decentralization power fueled the tussle between the Karachi local government and provincial government
Province-city quarrel need to be resolved
No mechanism for discussion over contentious issues.
Ethno-political rift strengthening TTP bases in Karachi in the areas of Orangi,SITE and Baldia… Huge pashtun base… Countring TTP in Karachi carries an Ethnic dimension
CONCLUSION
Revision of Pakistan’s national security Policy,madrassah reform, revision of anti-terrorism legislation.
Good governance, political will and efficient police force without political constraints, power sharing is need of hour
Attempts for new coalition Government after 2013 elections might trigger new wave of violence to be used as leverage for power sharing at federal and provincial level
more space for TTP in current scenario
arrival of militants fleeing drone attacks, counter terrorism activities, military operations
socio-economic challenges and demographic pressures will fuel recruitment
negative effect on econmy by ever increasing sectrainism. Ethnic militancy and extremism
conduct transparent consensus
establish a standing committee of political stakeholders to defuse ciolent clashes
alternatives to political parties for access to resources
Job creation program
Streamline urban planning
Accurate land survey
Independence of police stations
Improved intelligence gathering training
Community policing
Enhance legal system
World class witness protection program
Multiparty committees to help promote ethnic harmony
Relocate budget of rangers to sindh police
US counter terrorism initiative is highly at stake with karachi’s ongoing violent atmosphere
City’s security situation hinder US contributions for a stable Pakistan