By: Arsalan Altaf from Islamabad, Pakistan
Karachi is faced with a host of crises ranging from political violence, sectarian killings, governance issues, and now terrorism threats posed by an active presence of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.
Most of the problems Karachi is faced with today are a result of huge demographic shifts and mass urbanisation of the city over the last decades. In today’s globalised world, instability in Karachi is impacting the whole world instead of affecting Pakistan only.
And formula for achieving peace in Karachi by successive governments has been military and police operations, but Dr Andrew Rathmell, an experienced British public policy practitioner, warns against relying solely or mainly on security operations in urban conflicts such as Karachi.
Understand, act, sustain
“It’s quite easy to send in troops and make the headlines but it won’t do the job. All military forces have learned this. Brazil police learned this in Rio and Britain failed in Helmand province,” said Rathmell at a discussion titled ‘Tackling Violent Conflict and Extremism in Karachi’ in Islamabad on Friday.
Dr Rathmell, who has been advising the UK and US governments on conflict-affected environments around the world, said some of the factors that have helped many cities deal with such problems are: a growing middle urban class which can pressure the political elite into action; an effective and representative local government elected by reasonably transparent election; local taxes; and active local govt intervention to help reduce crime.
“It’s a portfolio of interlocking interventions. Building the security and justice institutions that go beyond simply putting more police on streets. Train and equip police in a sustainable manner. Be systematic and avoid white elephants. Understand, act, and sustain,” he emphasized.
TTP in Karachi
Zia Ur Rehman, a journalist and author of ‘Karachi in Turmoil’ explained how political violence has provided space to the TTP and other religious extremist groups in the metropolitan. While the TTP is relatively a recent phenomenon in the city, Karachi-based seminaries and groups have played role in Afghanistan conflict over the decades, he said.
Rehman, an expert on the Taliban and Afghan conflict, detailed how Taliban militants came to Karachi in the guise of IDPs, as it was easy for them to hide in four million Pashtun population of Karachi where they bided their time.
It was only in June 2011 when the TTP wrote letters to the ANP to close down its offices and attacked the party in Pashtun areas which were by then infested by TTP militants, Rehman says.
“As many as 40 ANP offices were closed down in two days in Pashtun areas and the party now says that some 80 of its local Karachi leaders have been killed in two years. Majority of the Pashtun neighbourhoods are no-go areas now for police and parties like ANP.”
But as in the tribal areas, TTP is divided in many factions in Karachi too and the ongoing TTP infighting in Waziristan is linked to Karachi factions. Each faction, Rehman said, receives the extortion money from the people of the tribal region in which that TTP faction is based.
TTP’s main function in Karachi is fundraising, he said, adding that the ongoing Karachi Operation is mainly focused on TTP Mohmand which has been targeting police and other security personnel. TTP Mehsud and TTP Swat are not much affected by the operation.
Sectarian violence
Karachi has also witnessed a substantial rise in the sectarian violence in recent years. Extremist anti-Shia, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat has strengthened over the past two years in the city. Formerly known as Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, ASWJ was mainly a Seraiki-Punjabi phenomenon but now involves other ethnicities too. Curiously enough, the party is also taking roots in Lyari, Rehman said.
On the other hand, Shia vote which mostly belonged to the MQM has gathered under the Shia sectarian political party Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM). People from Gilgit-Baltistan and other areas are swelling MWM ranks.
During the Bahrain uprising, there was uproar in Karachi too. Saudi consulate was attacked with grenades and a Saudi diplomat was gunned down around the same time. Tit-for-tat sectarian attacks continue on-and-off in the city. In addition to all this, there are other Jihadi groups with a focus on Kashmir which are based in Karachi.
Military operation imminent?
There are fears that the city might again turn into a fund-raising hub for Afghan Taliban after the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.
Rehman was of the opinion that the recent meeting of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief with political heads including former President Asif Ali Zardari might be an indication of an imminent offensive against the TTP in Karachi. Businessmen are now complaining of the militants and it seems matters have come to a head.
Civilian victims
Civilians are suffering the most in the ongoing conflict in Karachi and elsewhere in the country, but there is no institutionalised framework for compensating them. A study by the Institute of Social and Policy Sciences (I-SAPS) finds that process for civilian victims of conflict to get compensation may take 300 days.
“State which has failed to protect its citizens is now failing to acknowledge the harm done to civilians. Karachi and other parts of the country need an institutionalised compensation process for civilian victims,” said Ahmad Ali, a research fellow at I-SAPS.
IDPs in Karachi
Zia Ur Rehman said though the TTP is concentrated in Pashtun areas, it is now a threat for the whole city. “Half of the Mehsud IDPs are in Karachi. They want to go back but military has not allowed them yet. There is need for a mechanism for repatriating these IDPs back to Waziristan.”
Strengthening police force
Only police has a huge informant network in the city but other agencies either don’t engage police or don’t trust it.
Amir Rana, Director Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), said police can do the job if they get trust of the government. He called for reducing Rangers’ role in Karachi and investing more in the police force. For depoliticisation of police, he even recommended expelling all those recruited on political basis.
Dr Rathmell observed that police have been severely underinvested not only in Karachi but in all provinces. As a result, we have a weak police force.
Rehman highlighted how the MQM after joining the govt recently is now pressuring provincial govt to remove Karachi police chief Shahid Hayat. They also agreed that instead of paying the centre for paramilitary troops, Sindh govt better spend the money on its police force.
Also, the police ranks have better understanding of the problems on ground. An SHO leads the field formation and it’s them who need training, not the officers and police bureaucracy.
Arsalan Altaf is an Islamabad based journalist. He tweets at @Arsalan2u