The Sindh government as well as political leaders from different communities must be lauded for springing into action to cull the wave of ethnic strife before it could damage the harmony and peace of the province, which began with violence after the killing of 35-year-old Bilal Kaka in Hyderabad. For a day or two, Karachi and Hyderabad remained in the wave of tensions but the political class and the administrative officers, backed by the government, persuaded the warring factions to allay the tensions and failed the plot that could trigger violence, and sectarian and ethnic clashes and disharmony between Sindhis and Pashtuns. The tensions stemmed from the killing of Bilal Kaka, which soon turned into the Sindhi-Pashtun clashes by the lawless elements from both sides, and police’s failure to arrest the suspects. Footage viral on social media shows that gangs tried to forcibly shut down the businesses of Pashtuns and later on armed gangs of Pashtuns resorted to road blockage and violent actions. The police have arrested the suspect wanted in Bilala Kaka’s killing and more than 70 other people from both Sindhi and Pashtun localities for their role in the violence at the Sohrab Goth locality of Karachi and other districts. Social media was another tool which was used to spread hatred and violence in society. The Sindh government has asked the Federal Investigation Agency to take action against such social media accounts which instigated the people towards hate. This occasion must be used to regulate social media as well so that its responsible use could be ensured in society for positive purposes.
The situation is under control but ripe for large-scale violence. The law-enforcement agencies must be vigilant and keep engaging both sides to bring the cities to normalcy. The province has experienced ethnic and sectarian violence for decades, often leaving Karachi in headlines for clashes, bloodbath and law and order related issues. This is necessary for both Sindh and federal governments to take appropriate measures to put an end to such incidents in the future. First, the murder of Bilal Kaka should be investigated and his killers be brought to justice. Second, the police role should be investigated which acted lethargically giving a chance to mobsters to exploit the ethnic fault lines. Third, the gangs which resorted to violence must be identified and punished at the earliest. Fourth, the government must wake up to the irresponsible use of social media and crack down on the elements which use the facility to spew out hatred along ethnic and sectarian lines. Finally, it is high time that community elders from both sides be engaged in dialogues to create harmony and remove misunderstanding prevailing in different communities. The statement of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan is also an eye opener as it shows concerns over the “escalation in ethnic and political tension in Sindh”.
