Karachi’s recent political violence pushed the HRCP to create a fact finding mission that would try to discover the root cause of the violence lies and what recommendations would help solve these deeply etched issues.
In July alone about 358 people were killed in flare-ups of violence that paralysed the city. Many victims were tortured and stuffed in gunny bags that were dumped in various parts of the city, including streets and sewerage drains. Even by Karachi’s standards, this violence was horrific. The fact finding mission included HRCP Chairperson Zohra Yousuf, Vice Chairpersons Tahir Hussain Khan (Baluchistan), Sher Muhammad Khan (KP), and Amarnath Motumal (Sindh), along with council members Hina Jilani, Perveen Soomro, Uzma Noorani, Ghazi Salahuddin, Roland D’Souza, Asad Iqbal Butt, and HRCP Secretary General IA Rehman. Many others were also associated with the work done. HRCP’s recommendations for the Karachi violence were many and varied but their stress lies mostly on pressurising the government to take serious interest in the situation.
They said,
n The government’s stance has led to a crisis of confidence in the Government’s ability and sincerity to prevail over crime and bloodshed. It must speak in one voice and follow its promises.
n The state must have more writ in Karachi by supporting LEAs, depoliticizing the police department, and bring about effective investigation.
n Implementation of law without fear or favour in all fields is integral, including traffic, road encroachments, street crime, crime investigation procedures, etc.
n Those who have suffered losses in the bloodshed must be given appropriate compensation.
n State must use all means to safeguards its people’s right to life along with other basic rights.
n Outsourcing of policing responsibilities to the community or different parties all over Karachi must end forthwith. This would be a sustainable solution to the lingering law and order challenges in the city.
n A very broad consensus demands the de-weaponisation of Karachi.
n All parties should unite to sustain peace.
n Urban growth in Karachi needs review, along with its issues of over population, unemployment, etc.
n The state land grabbed by encroachers should be taken back and low income housing should be built.
n Integration and mainstreaming all communities is important in Karachi. No go areas created by political parties should be cleared and removed permanently.
n Communal harmony and tolerance among doctors and paramedical staff so that they cannot choose to treat patients of certain ethnicity.
n All illegal immigrants in the city must be registered.
n Civil society must be more active.
n Extortion should be ended through a revamping of public service functions of administrative agencies.
n State intervention in Karachi’s politics must end. The state should think of caring for and dealing with the people instead of abandoning them to the whims of armed gangs masquerading as political parties.