Politics and the city

This refers to the news report ‘No room for ethnic politics in Karachi: Mustafa Kamal’ (March 1). One thinks that there is no room for ethnic politics in the entire Sindh province – and, in fact, in the entire country. Remember, Pakistan broke up because the Bengalis remained deprived of their rights. Residents of Karachi have suffered a lot; first, during the Ayub Khan regime when the then president took revenge against Urdu-speaking people for supporting Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah as a presidential candidate with the connivance of various anti Urdu-speaking alliances formed for the purpose. This, in turn, gave rise to Altaf Hussain who created the APMSO and later the MQM which went to another extreme. Ethnic politics, that was started in Ayub Khan’s regime, got a few notches further up and turned the city of lights into one of riots and killings on ethnic grounds. The PPP also put in its share with Dr Zulfiqar Mirza proudly announcing the issuance of 300,000 arm licences – and not just for firing at weddings. Finally, the extremism that Karachi witnessed under the MQM was brought under control. However, the city continues to witness several injustices including a lack of job opportunities. In 2017, for example, the Karachi population was reduced by around half in the census, which drastically cut down its share of parliamentary seats as well as revenue.

Keeping this in view, Mustafa Kamal’s public meeting in Sohrab Goth, widely and enthusiastically attended by the Pakhtuns, comes as a breath of fresh air.

SRH Hashmi

Karachi