Ethnic tensions are rife in Malir City as the Urdu-speakers and the Baloch there have turned into enemies following clashes that started over a trivial matter – cable connections.
Superficially, peace prevails in the locality and routine life remains uninterrupted, but fear has set deep in the hearts and minds of the residents of the multi-ethnic Malir City.
People from the two ethnic groups have drawn borders to divide the communities and warned their members against violating these limits.
Some Baloch of Malir City have started an SMS campaign asking their people to adopt precautionary measures and avoid frequent visits to the areas dominated by the Urdu-speakers.
They have also warned against women visiting the weekly bazaar in the vicinity.
Roughly translated, the SMS written in Balochi was: “Dear friends, the Baloch are warned to adopt precautionary measures when visiting weekly bazaars and markets in Malir City’s areas of Siddique Goth and the Jamia Millia Road. The Baloch residing in and around the Jamia Millia Road should particularly be careful in their movement and be aware of the nefarious designs of the Mohajirs who want to ethnically cleanse the Baloch. The Baloch community is passing through a very critical time and we have to keep ourselves informed at all times.” The sender asked the SMS to be forwarded to “all Baloch”.
Muhammad Ali, a resident of Shamsi Society, said he was warned by his father against visiting Siddique Goth. “My father told me that some Baloch were targeting innocent Mohajirs without finding out if they were associated with a political group. I’m a student of the Government Degree College at the Jamia Millia Road and I can’t attend classes because the road is said to have become a border, patrolled by armed people from both ethnic groups.”
Hansabad and Siddique Goth are the two troubled areas in Malir City, in the Alfalah police precincts, where seven people from both groups have been killed by unidentified assailants.
A probe into unearthing the source of these ethnic clashes revealed that the initial clash had broken out over violation of area jurisdiction by cable operators of both groups in Hansabad and Siddique Goth.
A minor clash over cable connections has now penetrated all parts of Malir City and unidentified miscreants have been targeting people belonging to both ethnic groups.
Rapid changes have been taking place in Malir City. Alfalah SHO Muhammad Nawaz Chattha was replaced by Shah Faisal Colony SHO Khalid Nadeem Baig on Saturday night.
Moreover, the linguistic clash has taken shape of a political issue, and the coalition partners in the federal and Sindh governments are directly involving themselves in the matter to settle the dispute between the Urdu-speakers and the Baloch.
On Saturday night, Muttahida Qaumi Movement MPA Naushad Zia Qadri (representing the Urdu-speakers) and Sindh Chief Minister’s Adviser Salman Murad (representing the Baloch community) held a meeting with local leaders of both groups to resolve their disagreements. However, their efforts did not prove beneficial since both groups have refused peace talks.
Newly-appointed Alfalah SHO Baig said the law-enforcement agencies have decided to launch a search operation in Malir City. However, due to the Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS), the operation was postponed it would be conducted on Monday.
He said seven people – four Urdu-speakers and three Baloch – have been killed so far in the ongoing incidents of violence. “The clash started with a violation of area jurisdiction by cable operators, but a third party is now involved in these ethnic clashes and it only wants to incite people of both groups to achieve their nefarious goals,” he added.
Malir City’s ethnic strife started with cable operators’ spar
