Saturday, January 09, 2010
By By our correspondent
Karachi
The purpose of the recent wave of target killing in Lyari was to divert the attention of the people from the Ashura blast and the ensuing arson acts that destroyed main bazaars in Karachi, Taj Shahmeer of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Karachi West alleged on Friday.
“Otherwise, there was no reason for the creation of this tension,” he said. “The enemies are trying to create fear among the people of Lyari. They should know, however, that the people of old neighbourhoods have fought against tyrannies in the past and will never be terrified.”
Some activists from Old Golimar also slammed the provincial and city government functionaries, who, they said, have neglected their areas and initiated no development work there. They say that their only demand now is to save Gutter Baghicha and take action against those involved in land-grabbing.
Meanwhile, it is fear that the recent killings in old Lyari and Hassan Lashkari Village may adversely affect development projects initiated by the Lyari Town administration. The violence on Thursday left seven dead and sparked tension which gripped a wide area. The residents of Lyari alleged that certain elements, who “do not like to see development work in these areas,” are creating uncertainty by patronising criminals.
“It is a conspiracy against the PPP-led government. The criminals are instigating people living in the PPP strongholds to weaken the government and stop development work in these areas,” Lyari Town Nazim Mahmood Hashim told The News. The town Nazim was also part of the PPP supporters’ rally, taking bodies to demonstrate outside the Chief Minister House on Thursday to draw the attention of provincial authorities towards the violence in Lyari and the adjoining areas.
He said that they conveyed the reservations of the people to the chief minister and other cabinet members and demanded immediate action against those responsible, irrespective of their political affiliation or status. The town Nazim linked the killing of seven people to the war against grabbing of precious Gutter Baghicha land in Trans Lyari, Old Golimar. “Some people have planned to create uncertainty in these areas to achieve their nefarious designs,” he said. “The people of Lyari are law-abiding and they do not like to play in the hands of such elements. We are united and are mobilising the youth to not be a part of this game. Only calmness shown by us will lead to the exposure of our enemies.”
The residents of Lyari are enraged at the recent violence, he maintained. “We have asked the people not to take law into their own hands and to protect the property of their own community,” Hashim said. “Despite the recent attacks, however, the development projects will continue. Nobody will be allowed to stop them.”
Ellahi Bakhsh Baloch, a civil society activist from the area, said that the killing of these people was part of a conspiracy which earlier had claimed the lives of three leaders of the Gutter Baghicha Bachao Tahreek — Zahid Baloch, Nisar Baloch and Nadir Baloch. He said that all these people were resisting land-grabbers and fell victim to “certain elements”.
Ellahi Bakhsh Baloch said that 30 per cent of the land in Lyari has been illegally under control of warehouse owners and industrialists.
“The government should get it vacated immediately to complete abandoned projects,” he maintained. “For instance, the government has planned to establish a medical university and other institutions but it does not have land for these projects.”
On Friday, enraged residents took to the streets in all the old areas including Lyari, Old Golimar, Usmanabad, Hassan Lashkari Village, Mauripur and parts of Malir, and burnt tyres and blocked roads to condemn Thursday’s violence.
http://www.thenews.com.pk
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