The deadly Lyari operation that seems to have incurred little political cost for the Sindh government, the weeklong use of force cost the PPP office-bearers and workers their abodes and party positions in the volatile neighborhood which is still believed to be in a strong grip of the warring gangs.
If did not move swiftly, the PPP would see more dissidents in its ranks in future as many of its Lyari-based office-bearers and activists are harboring deep grievances against the provincial and central party leadership.
With the politico-judicially embattled PPP, perceivably, slapdash to their plight, the killing of PPP leader Malik Muhammad Khan, PS 111 president, on April 26 in Lyari forced many of the party’s office-bearers and activists to leave their houses in Baghdadi, Shahbeg Lane and other parts of the violence-hit locality.
And rest of the damage is said to have been done by the ill-thought-out Lyari operation that made the surviving PPP leaders flee from the neighborhood fearing that government’s offensive might be counterproductive for the proscribed People’s Amman Committee (PAC).
Some of them even claim to have received threats from the gang wars. “Ever since Malik Muhammad Khan was assassinated, we are on the run away from our homes in Lyari some of which have been occupied by the Amman Committee,” one such affectee confided to Pakistan Today.
Those having had their houses occupied are Khalil Hoth, Ghulam Muhammad Summo and others.
He said over 35 PPP office bearers, including him, were compelled to live away from their residences in Lyari with their families or friends in various parts of the city. It may be recalled that the house of provincial minister Rafique Engineer was attacked and set on fire by unknown assailants in UC 10, Kalakot area of Lyari, on the 3rd of last month.
Also, MNA Nabeel Gabol and MPA Rafique Engineer are said to have long been residing outside Lyari in Defence, Clifton. Gabol is believed to be based in Islamabad since Lyari operation.
He claimed his side had sought the help of PPP heavyweights like MNA Faryal Talpur, Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah, MNA Abdul Qadir Patel, Provincial Rehabilitation Minister Muzaffar Shujra, Special Advisor to CM Sindh Siddique Abu Bhai and others but to no avail.
“All we have got from these leaders are shallow assurances,” the office-bearer lamented. In his talks with Pakistan Today, another Lyari leader of the PPP was critical of being devoid of the party offices allegedly on the demand of the PAC with whom, he claimed, the PPP was fast coming to terms.
A three-member team, comprising Senators Saeed Ghani and Yusuf Baloch and MNA Qadir Patel, is holding talks with the once PPP loyals from the PAC members, he said.
“Those who stood by the party were removed from their offices and replaced with the sympathizers of PAC,” alleged he. The PPP leader was unhappy about the recent reshuffling in the party hierarchy in Lyari. He said last Saturday saw the removal of Khalil Hoth as president, Ghulam Muhammad Summo as deputy secretary, Taimur Siyal as general secretary, Razzak Nurani as information secretary of District South. Aslam Summo and Iqbal Baloch were shown the door as general secretaries of Labor Bureau Sindh and PS 109, respectively.
When contacted, Zafar Baloch, a PAC leader, vehemently denied the allegations saying no house of the PPP office-bearers was occupied in Lyari.
“This propaganda is being carried out by a group of five to seven opportunists who went in self-exile to secure personal benefits from Sindh government on the pretext of Lyari operation,” Baloch told Pakistan Today on telephone.
Asked about the torching of Minister Rafique Engineer’s home, the PAC leader said the affected house belonged to a relative and not to the minister. “It was attacked and torched by a group of angry mob in reaction to the killing of a boy Hamad who was crushed to death by a police van,” claimed Baloch. He also confirmed holding talks with a three-member government team saying the negotiations were in progress without reaching a breakthrough. PPP leaders Information Minister Shazia Marri and Senator Saeed Ghani were not available for comments despite repeated attempts by this reporter.
