The ongoing targeted operation in the violence-hit Lyari is “one sided”, “made-up” and politically-motivated, according to stakeholders in the strategically-located thus volatile neighbourhood.
Hussain Katchi, president Katchi Rabita Committee, which is a major stakeholder in Lyari, is smelling a rat in the intentions of politically-ambitious PPP-led Sindh government as the Rangers and police are “chasing criminals” in the narrow lanes of Lyari since Wednesday to take to task those responsible for Tuesday’s Jhatpat market carnage.
According to Karachi police spokesman Inspector Atiq Shaikh, the law enforcers so far have gunned down eight gangsters affiliated with the two rival gangs led by absconding Uzair Jan Baloch and Noor Muhammad alias Baba Ladla, two former allies under the outlawed People’s Aman Committee (PAC).
The police team, the sources said, was led by the “encounter specialist” Shafique Tanoli, the station house officer of Mochko police.
Consequently, the two-day operation has so far seen the law enforcers having shot dead Adil alias Badal, Naseeb alias Eppi, Fateh Khan, Adnan Asif, Farman, Saddan, Usman and Haneef in Usmanabad, Rangiwara, Chakiwara, Kalakot and Garden areas of the crime-infested locality.
As the crackdown against gangsters entered into its second day on Thursday, the insiders from Lyari accused the Sindh government of influencing the operation for attaining its vested interests.
“This operation is politically motivated and one sided,” an insider from Lyari told Pakistan Today, requesting anonymity.
He claimed that PPP was playing with fire by rooting out a certain gang, that of Baba Ladla, and patronising relatively bigger gang led by Uzair Baloch, who is in self-exile for last several months.
KRC leader Hussain Katchi too appeared unsatisfied with the operation that he claimed had gone “one sided” during the past week. “A week earlier this operation was heading in the right direction but now seems to be one-sided,” he opined.
Hussain has long been at loggerheads with PAC leader Uzair Jan over the possession of five strategically-located Katchi-inhabited lanes along Maripur Road. Hussain blasted the Sindh government, specially PPP’s elected representatives from Lyari, for crushing a specific group of gangsters through use of state power and winking another.
Javed Nagori and Sanya Naz Baloch, PPP MPAs from Lyari, were not available for comments despite repeated attempts of this reporter. Also, Nabeel Gabol, Khwaja Izharul Hassan and Faisal Sabzwari of MQM, the city’s dominant political party, did not return their calls this scribe made to have their views on the issue.
Nagori Wednesday had pointed finger at an MNA of what he said a “linguistic party” for deteriorating peace in Lyari.
The fact that most of the gangsters killed so far in Lyari operation were from Baba Ladla group puts enough weight behind this impression. Police officials confirmed that six of the eight gangsters shot dead on Wednesday and Thursday belonged to Ladla.
Also, the fact remains that most powerful and influential gangs in Lyari belong to Uzair’s group. According to well-placed sources, Uzair Jan is dominating most of the volatile neighbourhood through his nine powerful commanders: Faisal Pathan, Mullah Nisar, Jasim Golden, Shaukat Badshah Khan, Wasiullah Lakho, Sajjad Khatri, Shehzad aka Sunny, Sheeraz Comrade and Taj Muhammad alias Tajoo.
Pathan, the sources said, maintains an armed group of 200-300 gangsters to control Koila Godown and Dhoby Gath areas. Mullah is said to have some 250-person gang operating in Kumharwara and Jhatpat market areas.
Golden, who sided with Uzair after the banned PAC split in two groups, dominates Sargoar and Ali Muhammad Muhalla with a 50-60-member gang. Khan is active in Niazi Chawk, Ali Hotel and Nayaabad with the help of a hundred gangsters. Lakho is ruling Gulistan Colony and parts of Nayaabad (UC 3) through over 100-member gang.
Khada market, Moosa Lane and Jatoi Muhallah are under the control of Khatri who patronises a group of 50 gangsters, Jamshed Sanawra and Farhan Mota being prominent among them. Sunny, assisted by Mama Lasy, also has a group of 100 men to control UC 5 areas like Moosa Lane, Pathan Masjid, Baghdadi and parts of Lee Market.
Comrade, leading some 200 gangsters, is believed to be in control of Lee Market, Kamela Stop, Art Chawk and Moach Goth, where five of Ladla’s relatives were slain last week.
Tajoo is second in command to Uzair and is based in Usmanabad neighbourhood where the law enforcers gunned down two of Ladla’s men, Adil and Naseeb, Wednesday.
This brings the number of total gangsters from Uzair group to over a thousand, at least 1160, led by nine commanders and dominating most of Lyari.
On the other hand, Ladla has four prominent commanders leading more than 700 gangsters to confront his rivals: Ghaffar Zikri, Zahid Ladla, Lala Orangi and Wasim Baloch.
Zikri, assisted by his brother Sheeraz Zikri, is leading some 250 men in Ali Muhammad Muhallah. Zahid, younger brother of Baba, has a gang of 300 men to control Dubai Chawk, Eedoo Lane and Slaughter House areas.
Lala Orangi, whose real name could not be confirmed, has Gharib Shah and areas opposite Jhatpat market under his influence. His gang comprises some 80-90 men.
Ladla, the sources said, remains surrounded by a strong “most wanted” group of 40 gangsters supervised, in his absence, by his close aides Sikandar Sikhoo and Ismail Afshani. He is active in areas of Lyari General Hospital, Lipton Company and Liaquat Colony.
Most of commanders from the two rival gangs are absconding with a head money of millions of rupees, the sources said. This detail clearly puts Uzair’s group in a stronger position than that of Ladla and makes the former a real challenge for the law enforcement agencies to deal with.
Inspector Atiq, however, was outright in rejecting the claims that the operation was politically motivated or aimed at a specific group of gangsters.
“DIG South yesterday (Wednesday) had opined that the Jhatpat market attack was carried out by Zikri group. So that may be a reason for most of the killings were from that side,” the spokesman clarified.
As for Sindh government’s alleged pressure, Atiq said he never had heard Additional IGP Shahid Hayat complaining of some pressure from any quarter. “Mr AIG never hinted that he had some pressure to kill or arrest some and leave others,” he said.
The spokesman conceded that there was a widely-held perception that the PPP was supporting some gangsters in Lyari.
Despite such denials, KRC leader Hussain sees political interference in Lyari operation by Sindh government as a major stumbling block in the way of restoration of peace in the violence-plagued locality.
“Sindh government stop political interference in Lyari operation and give a free hand to the law enforcers and there will be peace in the area within a week,” the KRC leader viewed.
