A safe haven for lawlessness

The Sindh Information Department recently issued an invite to the media to cover a press conference of a member of the Sindh Assembly who, along with his younger brother, has been accused of killing a union council chairman, his son and a district councillor in Dadu.

Through this move, the PPP-led provincial government proved that it cannot adopt a neutral stance in a conflict in one of its main constituencies in Sindh. It seems to have decided to stand by the accused instead of throwing its weight behind the victim – who also belongs to the PPP. The Sindh government’s posture has sent the wrong message .

In the aftermath such incidents, why do people have to take to the streets and demand justice? What have the state and its institutions done to address their concerns? Why has Sindh become such a lawless society where the elected representatives of the ruling party get killed and little or no action is taken against their murderers?

We are dealing with two problems in the province that complement each other. The first problem emanates from the outdated tribal sardari system in Sindh. The second issue involves the governance system of an elected government that serves the interests of powerful sardars and their party men. This arrangement makes the system of governance akin to a union of pirs, Syeds, sardars, nawabs and mirs.

The adversity faced by the powerless segments of society is the outcome of a system that promotes tribalism and is heavily influenced by sardars and nawabs. This system is a legacy of the British Empire, adopted and maintained in the post-colonial state of Pakistan. All of us know that the British created a loyal political class and showered titles and means of production, mainly agricultural land, on them. This political class shared power with the British over their subjects. This socioeconomic structure continues to haunt our consciousness and breeds a economic, political and social divide in many parts of Sindh.

Pakistan’s mainstream political parties have served as safe havens for this class and put a democratic stamp on their hold over politics and society. Successive military governments have also used them to gain political legitimacy. Such elements always needed these elite groups – in some cases even the neo-feudals – to serve as the base for their power. This is not just a trend within the PPP. Even the PML-N, the PML-Q and the PML-F have provided protection to this political class. As a result, powerful sardars continue to eliminate their opponents within their tribes and political constituencies.

Sindh needs a new and organised political force to achieve a just and peaceful society. Civil society activists and representatives from various political parties should be lauded for protesting in Mehar against the triple murder in Dadu. Only the desire for political expediency can explain the inaction of the Sindh government and the police in arresting the culprits.

People have repeatedly expressed their anger and frustration over growing spate of lawlessness in Sindh. In January alone, many incidents of citizens being murdered have been reported across the province. Recently, two traders were gunned down in Mithi, a city with a strong PPP support base.

At this stage, people have joined hands to protest against these killings because they fear that their individual efforts will not put an end to the injustice inflicted upon them by the powerful classes.

The murder of five more people has once again raised questions over the Sindh police department’s actions as they fail to act and arrest the killers. A few years back, the Sindh police were credited for eliminating kidnappings from the province.

However, the recent spell of violence in the province has dented its credibility. With a raise of Rs8 billion, the Sindh government allocated Rs92 billion for law and order in its provincial budget – the second largest share in the budget after education. Although Sindh has a police force with 109,117 officers and a 24,247-strong force of the Rangers, peace and justice seem to be distant dreams for its people.

People have asked why we need district administrative structures if they remain unmoved by attacks on innocent citizens. They have also asked why deputy commissioners and SSPs, who are steeped in the hierarchies of a colonial mindset, are of little benefit to the people. They want to know what their job is other than to avail protocols and luxuries. It seems that no one has taught these officials how to serve the people.

Sindh’s society has been plagued by the tyranny of the feudal class, which has gone unchallenged for decades. The conscientious citizens of Sindh are realising that the power of these groups springs from the silence, inaction and disunity of the powerless. This is what creates tyrants. Politics, which should liberate society and people, is at their service. It has become a vanguard to their interests. Those civil society activists who took to the streets in Mehar last week wanted to break the silence against this oppression and demand justice.

The tribal chieftains who were created by the British Empire and sustained by the post-colonial state, continue to play havoc with the lives of innocent citizens. While the British Raj may have ended, the rule of this political class has not. Through its inaction over the recent killings in the province, the PPP appears to be asking for a revolt in Sindh.

Email: mush.rajpar@gmail.com

Twitter: @MushRajpar