Investigations into rising incidents of attacks on traders of Old City Area, a major centre for wholesale business in the country, revealed a clash of interest between federal and provincial coalition partners, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), over provision of security to the traders.
According to sources, while the Sindh governor who is associated with MQM wants to provide security to the traders of Karachi, the PPP’s chief minister is not interested in materialising the security plan of the governor and is more focused towards maintaining peace in PPP’s stronghold Lyari.
A few days ago, the governor had chalked out a security plan for traders of Old City Area in an attempt to address the woes of traders who had complained about a regular increase in extortion collection.
In his security plan, the governor established 30 pickets in the Old City area and ensured that police constables remain present in these areas for provision of security to traders. The security plan materialised and police pickets were established in the commercial centre but after three days the forces deserted their posts.
At present there are no police personnel present at the posts established in Old City area. The traders informed the governor about the mysterious disappearance of law enforcers from their posts but he has failed to ensure provision of security in these pickets because the police department is under control of the chief minister, claim sources.
The force deployed for traders’ security was sent to other troubled areas of the metropolis to control the law and order situation.
Sindh CM Qaim Ali Shah apparently has a clash of interest with the governor over provision of security to the traders.
The traders claim that PPP has its interests in Lyari, a town adjacent to Old City area, where it has traditionally bagged seats in national and provincial assemblies and wants to engage police forces there to maintain its hold. PPP has already announced that party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will contest for a National Assembly seat in the upcoming general elections from Lyari.
Earlier, Bilawal arrived in the city and visited his constituency of Lyari but was welcomed with bullets. He left the town without meeting the locals. Although the government had launched a crackdown against criminals of Lyari, it has failed to completely clean up the area.
Now there are numerous People’s Amn Committees (PACs) in Karachi, which have their headquarters in Lyari, All Karachi Tajir Ittehad (AKTI) President Atiq Mir said while talking to Pakistan Today. “We are receiving notifications from many PACs and it is not possible to ascertain the real one from the fake ones,” Mir said, adding that if you visit Lyari you will find a PAC in almost every street.
“The Sindh governor provided traders with security by establishing posts in the Old City area but the force deployed in these posts is now engaged in other parts of the city,” he stated. “We approached the governor over the disappearance of force, who after discussion with the CM, replied that the force was engaged in other parts of the city to maintain law and order in violence-hit metropolis,” he added.
“There is a clash of interest between PPP and MQM over provision of security to the traders because PPP wants these forces in Lyari, headquarters of the PAC, and they want to continue their winning trend there in the upcoming elections. The governor is ready to provide security but the CM is not willing to support the governor’s decision,” he said, adding that the traders have decided to besiege the CM’s House and stage a sit-in protest urging him to provide security to the traders of Karachi against the politically-backed PAC.
