On April 28, I was watching various TV channels and almost all of them were painting one sided picture giving impression that in Lyari only criminals and law breakers were living.
I have spent almost 36 years in Lyari and found the people of Lyari peaceful and law abiding citizens like people living in other areas of the city. Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, ex-Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Pakistan, his great father late Syed Roshan Ali Shah, former Register Sindh High Court and late Abdul Sattar Afghani, ex-Mayor, Karachi were my neighbours in Lyari.
If some criminals were involved in activities in one part of Lyari, the media cannot be allowed to pose the whole Lyari as a haven for criminals and malign the people of Lyari who have given unprecedented sacrifices for democracy. Regretfully, the media on the said day was acting as a spokesman of Chaudhry Aslam (SSP CIA) who has no good record during his previous various postings in Lyari. Nonetheless, the media did not take trouble to focus on the miseries of the Lyari people in detail to know their point of view.
Later on, one TV channel disclosed Chaudhry Aslam has been made in-charge of the Lyari operation whereas IG Police Syed Mushtaque Shah and other high police officers have no say in the operation as claimed the said channel. The channel by quoting residents of Lyari lately disclosed the police were indiscriminately arresting passers-by who wanted to vacate Lyari to save their lives.
I appeal to all TV channels that they must direct their reporters not to report one sided story and focus more on the miseries of the people of Lyari caused by police atrocities.
MOHAMMAD KHAN SIAL
Karachi