The hate mongering of MQM Haqiqi Chief Afaq Ahmed against the Pukhtun community a few weeks ago is not only unfortunate but it is highly condemnable. Addressing a gathering almost a few weeks ago, Ahmed not only openly spat venom against the community but also urged the Urdu-speaking people to boycott trade with the Pukhtuns. Such mentality reflects fascist tendencies which harmed the city greatly in the past and has the potential to wreak havoc again with the lives of millions of people inhabiting the metropolis.
In any civilized country, he would have been immediately arrested and put behind bars for spreading hate but this is not the case in the land of the pure where hatemongers are always encouraged to propagate their poisonous agenda. This creates a sense of impunity, prompting such political orphans to strut about the country, attempting to pit one community against another to achieve their political objectives. But such a culture of impunity inflicts deep wounds on the soul of societies, tearing down their social fabric and pushing them towards a conflagration that incinerates everything. This is what happened in Beirut during the decade of 1980s and several other places where sanity was not allowed to prevail.
It is also unfortunate that the Urdu-speaking intelligentsia did not condemn such an outright vilification campaign against the Pukhtun community. Mainstream political parties, apart from a few leaders, also ignored the diatribe of the Haqiqi chief. No signal was given by the powerful elements of the state that they got furious over the tirade despite the fact such statements cannot only harm the city but the integrity of the country as well in the long run. It is also surprising as to why the police and law enforcement agencies did not take any action. They are meant to protect the law of the country and have enough powers to proceed on their own in case of a violation of law. In the case of Ahmed, it is a blatant violation of the law that warranted immediate actions on the part of the city administration. Such an attitude encouraged the Muhajir nationalist leader to unabashedly defend his offensive remarks on Sunday Jan 23, vowing to issue such statements in the future as well.
Some might describe it as a move to get cheap popularity but such demagoguery could be very lethal for a city that witnessed the worst form of ethnic clashes in the past and where communal fault lines could still be exploited by unscrupulous elements that are bereft of people’s support. Critics believe politicians like the Haqiqi chief could go to any extent to get mass support in urban areas of Sindh to fill the political vacuum created by decline of MQM London.
But achieving political support through hate mongering could be very devastating for a province that has already suffered a lot because of ethnic tensions in the past. The federating unit has been sporadically facing ethnic turmoil since the decade of 1960s when the first communal clashes erupted between the two communities of the metropolis with the one supporting Ayub Khan and the other backing Fatima Jinnah. The language riots during the decade of 1970s created acrimony between the urban and rural Sindh. During the time of General Zia, communal feelings were fanned, pitting one community against another. The misconceptions and apprehensions created during the time of the monstrous dictator still exist. Amidst this, all such statements like the one issued by Ahmed could act as a catalyst plunging the city in hatred.
It is not only Haqiqi’s chief who has been indulging himself in the politics of divisiveness but another faction of MQM is also trying to drive a wedge between the two communities of the province. Detractors of MQM Pakistan accuse it of fanning hatred by raising slogans aimed at dividing Sindh. The party was also blamed for spreading the propaganda that urban areas have been captured by the people of villages as if those who are from remote areas of the province do not have any right over cities. Such campaigns attracted provocative responses from chauvinistic Sindhi nationalist groups that even threatened to use violence against those demanding the division of Sindh. Chief minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, also demonstrated a very irresponsible attitude in the assembly by describing the people of urban areas as minorities who would never be able to make any decision about the fate of the province.
Such statements from a chief executive of the federating unit are also very unfortunate as they could create a sense of alienation among various sections of society.
The PPP also needs to revisit its policy of favouring only one ethnic entity. It is a national party, a symbol of federation and should act responsibly. It needs to remember that in the subcontinent the politics of employment and government jobs has always played an important role. It was the salaried class of the Muslims that raised the slogan of Muslim nationalism, arguing that they were not given an adequate share in government jobs. The speeches of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in the British Indian Viceroy’s Legislative Council also pointed out the meagre share of Muslims in government jobs.
After the partition, the Bengalis also claimed to be ignored in matters of government job quotas. The genesis of Muhajir nationalism was also rooted in claims that they were not adequately represented in the provincial and federal bureaucracies. Some Sindhi, Pukhtun and Baloch nationalists also based their politics upon the grievances arising out of a sense that they were ignored in government employment. Such politics is not confined to Pakistan but in present day India, the politics of quota system is a hot topic with the people of Mumbai accusing other nationalities of snatching away their jobs while those of UP complaining about the over-representation of candidates from Bihar in the federal bureaucracy.
Given this all, Pakistan People’s Party, MQM Pakistan and other political entities should tread very carefully. They must weigh their words before they make a public statement. The resources of the city are getting scarce with every passing day. Water has become a precious commodity with many areas of the city completely bereft of this most essential element of life. Millions of people have dug multiple roads in search of water.
Heaps of garbage, debilitating sanitation, poor infrastructure, lack of adequate housing and rampant corruption in government departments is adding to the woes of citizens. In addition to that, street crimes have skyrocketed in the last nine years with the citizens of metropolis losing tens of thousands of mobiles, motorcycles and cars every year. Karachi police, that is quick to detect any construction even on legal houses, has miserably failed in controlling the wave of crimes. It is unable to catch thieves, robbers and muggers despite having clear CCTV footages that can easily help them to identify culprits. Citizens have a right to ask about the utility of these cameras installed with public money to control crimes.
Thus, it is important that the stakeholders of the city sit together, pondering over the ways that could help address myriad of the problems being faced by the metropolis. It is also important that political parties make a code of conduct, taking strict actions against those who resort to hate mongering against any section of society. Law enforcement agencies need to make sure statements like the ones made by Afaq Ahmed are not tolerated because if such people remain undeterred, it would encourage other leaders of various communities to come up with poisonous statements and speeches of their own.
Therefore, it is important to take immediate actions to thwart the attempts of those who are trying to create disharmony through their provocative speeches and offensive statements.
