HRCP blames political groups for violence
Rabia Ali
Karachi: As political parties rally for peace in the city and distance themselves from the ongoing spree of target killing that claimed over 300 lives last month, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) believes otherwise, blaming the powerful political groups as the “main directors of the horrible game of death and destruction”.
Commenting on the role of political parties in Karachi’s violence, Chairperson HRCP Zohra Yusuf told The News that they were to be equally blamed apart from other criminal elements. “Politics seems to be getting criminalized in Karachi as each political party has its own armed wing, while land and other mafias seem to be enjoying political patronage,” she said, adding that they would be releasing a detailed report on Karachi’s violence in the coming days.
A HRCP delegation, which was on a fact-finding mission in the metropolis to ascertain the causes of the recent spate of violence, visited one of the affected Katti Pahari area and interviewed the affectees.
It observed that “while the gangs of land-grabbers and mafias have tried to exploit the breakdown of law and order, they do not appear to be the main directors of the horrible game of death and destruction, as that distinction belongs to more powerful political groups and it is they who hold the key to peace”.
Making an interim observation, the HRCP stated: “Nearly all political parties agree that it is necessary for all to respect each other’s position and legitimate interests and desist from attempts to capture political heights through violence.
“Nonetheless, all the parties HRCP talked to offered their support for de-weaponisation in the city, to which the organization believes that there is no reason why an all-party campaign to recover weapons, including the licensed ones, should not be launched.
“Karachi is in the grip of a multi-sided wave of insecurity-driven political, ethnic and sectarian polarization that has greatly undermined its tradition of tolerance and good-neighborliness.”
The HRCP mentioned in its findings that some of the people it spoke to felt utterly disappointment with the democratic system and looked up to extra-constitutional forces for deliverance, saying, “HRCP cannot approve of this tiny minority’s penchant for jumping out of the frying pan into fire”.
The HRCP believes that the state is to be ultimate responsible for the deteriorating present situation in the city, and has suggested that the civil society’s help can be sought out to solve the issues of providing basic amenities and utilities to the people of the city.
During its fact-finding mission held from July 29 to July 31, the HRCP representatives held discussions with politicians, lawyers, journalists, police officials, businessmen, teachers, hospital authorities and experts on development.
However, the HRCP expressed disappointment that it was able to meet only a handful of officials. “We regret that the chief minister had no time for the HRCP mission and are constrained to point out that the insensitivity of political authorities and their denials of access to civil society organizations, however insignificant they may be, are amongst the major causes of the collapse of administration in Karachi,” it said.
Source: The News
Date:8/2/2011
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