Moot explores ‘peace and reconciliation alternatives’, calls for social security to ensure peace in Karachi
Speakers at the second day of the “I Am Karachi” peace conference on Sunday underlined the need for a continuous dialogue among all communities residing in Karachi and demanded the state to provide social justice, including social security to all citizens to ensure peace.
The conference titled “Exploring Peace and Reconciliation Alternatives” was organised by Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) at a local hotel. The conference came up with a set of recommendations from the youth, who were divided into four groups to prepare their recommendations.
The main recommendation was provision of rights to the citizens followed by framing out of inclusive policies to provide opportunities to all citizens to take benefit from state services. A need for an effective citizens’ watchdog to ensure provision of basic facilities and root out corruption was another demand of youth.
Earlier at a panel discussion, Habib University Arzu Center for Vernacular Languages and Humanities Associate Professor and Director Asif Farrukhi, also a fiction writer, critic and translator regretted that Karachi’s relation were not developed with its surrounding, instead its relations were still established with other cities, which were not located in Pakistan.
“You can find Charminar in Karachi, which is originally located in Hyderabad in India.,” he said adding that one can find Delhi and Hyderabadi or Gujarati food areas in Karachi but there is no place to have Sindhi food.
Similarly, no academic or intellectual linkages are available with local people, he said, adding that there is only a sentimental relationship with Indian writer and intellectuals.
Senior journalist Ghazi Salahuddin said libraries have vanished from the city therefore intellectual discourse is absent from the city.
He said that cities are magnets of ambitious people, where people from other parts of the country come to fulfil their dreams. Karachi is similar to other big cities but it is a unique city in South Asia where after independence, a large number of people came from other parts of India. Karachi is a unique city in the South Asia where the indigenous population was rooted out because of influx of population from other parts of India, he said.
Lahore city interacts with its environment, it has organic relations with other cities of its surroundings but the same is not true for Karachi.
“Karachi is an isolated city, which has failed to keep its older identity,” opined Salahuddin.
University of Karachi Director Pakistan Study Centre Dr Jaffar Ahmed said the spaces for sports, entertainment and dialogue are not available for youth in Karachi.
T2F Founder Director Sabeen Mehmood said that she established an organisation called Peace Niche in 2007, which established its first project “The Second Floor (T2F)” to provide a space for intellectual discourse. The main idea was to set up an alternative place where no membership was required.
In her candid speech, she said she had established it from her own resources. “People ask me to open more such places but I cannot because of limited resources.
Aijaz Mangi, writer, columnist and Sindhi Adabi Board former secretary said there is a need to encourage the youth to be involved in literature, poetry and music because to counter division on the basis of class.
He mentioned that in Sindh, Sufi poets fought with extreme fundamentalism through a single string of a musical instrument – Danboora. Sindh’s culture is deeply rooted in Sufi culture which is non-violent, he added.
Hasil Murad of Shaheed Benazir University Lyari said Cheel Chowk in Lyari has become a symbol of fear and terror.
“A campaign has been launched against Lyari. It is not Lyari which has left the city, but it Karachi which has left Lyari,” he said adding that the root cause of Lyari’s problem is gang war. Interaction among youth should continue to provide a softer image of Lyari, he said.
Nida Kirmani, a researcher, who has conducted a research on Lyari and its people said, “Lyari has been ignored by the state institutions.”
People of Lyari were fond of sports and education but gang wars have destroyed the cultural sphere of the area, she said. However, she added, I can see a lot of hope among people of Lyari.
PILER Executive Director (ED) Karamat Ali said we have to look at how to make Karachi an “inclusive city”. Media can be convinced to make their programmes inclusive and create an atmosphere of peace.
“We should demand to restore playgrounds in the city, which are encroached by the influential people of political parties.” He suggested that a plan be chalked out to promote sports activities in the city. Football has been a famous sport of Lyari and measures must be taken to restore it, he said.
“Integration of different communities is essential. There is a need to convince political parties to deliberately integrate various communities,” he said.
“Hashim Raza and Kazim Raza from Lucknow were brought by GM Syed to Karachi to join public services in 1940,” said Ali, adding that much before independence Syed had asked Biharis to come and settle in Karachi. But unfortunately, the city has faced a number of problems after independence.