March 2013
Introduction
of Karachi:
Ethnic and Political Composition and Conflicts
How The Talibanization Started in Karachi, Causes:
Taliban Linked Militant Groups or Organizations Working in Karachi
Major Attacks After 9/11 in Karachi
Funding
Sources:
1.
Bank Robberies
2.
Kidnapping for Ransom
3.
Extortion
Challenges:
Threats to Political Parties, Civil Society, Media and Law Enforcement Agencies
The Role of Government (Action against Taliban)
Conclusion
.........................................................................................................................................................
Introduction:
Karachi, the 7th largest city of the
world is the main seaport and financial center of Pakistan and has an estimated
population of 21 million people. Once locally known as the "City of
Lights" and "The Bride of the Cities" for its liveliness, Karachi
today presents an especially alarming picture in view of an almost unstoppable
spree of killing on ethnic, sectarian and political grounds. On the other hand,
hundreds of Taliban fleeing from FATA and Khaber Pakhtun khwa have taken refuge
in the teeming commercial hub of Karachi where a growing nexus with banned
militant organizations has become a headache for law enforcement agencies.
Ethnic
Composition:
Looking into Karachi’s diverse
demography, will help to understand the root cause of increasing violence. There
are several ethnic groups in Karachi including, Sindhi’s, Muhajir’s (migrated from
India,) Punjabi’s, Pashtun’s, Kashmiri’s and Baloch amongst others. Furthermore,
Afghan refugees have also taken up residence in and around Karachi since 1979
when conflicts began in the region. Statistics from 2009 tell that almost
50,000 ethic Pashtun’s and Tajiks are resident to Karachi. The Pashtuns
originally from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata and Northern Balochistan are now the
city's second largest ethnic group in Karachi after Muhajirs. Over 2 million
IDPs came to Karachi after the Swat and Waziristan operation and some
intelligence sources say that some of them were criminals associated with the
Taliban.
Political Conflicts:
Since
politics in Karachi is driven and influenced by ethnic affiliation it is
important to look into the various political parties active in the city. The
MQM is an ethnic political party of the Urdu speaking community known as
"Mohajirs," that migrated from India at the time of partition. Mohajirs
make up around fifty percent of the total population in Karachi. The MQM classifies
itself as a party for the middle-classes, following a secular and
anti-extremist stance. It has a long history of clashes with the Pakistan
People’s Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP), which represents their rival
ethnic community, the Pashtun’s. Today all three parties (MQM, ANP and PPP) are
part of the ruling coalition government.
How Talibanization
started in Karachi, Causes
Exploring the root cause of Talibanization
in Karachi takes us back to the 1980’s when the Afghan jihad began. The ongoing
war against terrorism in northwestern parts of the country also brought to
Karachi a flow of arms and drugs along with a heavy population influx. The
situation produced a culture of violence in the city and after the fall of the
9/11, Karachi’s ethnic conflicts appear to have been succeeded by ‘sectarian’ conflicts.
There are differences of opinion
when it comes to the number of Taliban present in the city but one fact
compelling all to forge a consensus is that the Taliban militants have
overtaken the reign of terror previously held by militants with different
identities, e.g. political, ethnic, sectarian and criminal. The Taliban nexus
with Jaish-e-Muhammad and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in the city intensifies the threat.
Although the presence of Taliban in
the city can hardly be denied by anyone, their existence in terms of physical
strength has always been exaggerated. A high rank security official in Karachi,
does not subscribe to the idea that 5000 Taliban militants have infiltrated
into the city. He says, The TTP Karachi chapter has been divided into many
small groups comprising 3 to 5 militants. If the police nab a militant, he
doesn't give much information to help reach the high ranks due to his lack of
knowledge about his own group.
Taliban linked militant
groups or organizations working in Karachi
The 25 key Al-Qaeda and
Taliban-linked militant groups which have literally taken hostage the port city
of Karachi include five factions of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) -
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al Alami, Qari Zafar group, Qari Shakeel group, Akram Lahori
group and Farooq Bengali group. Then there are three factions of Tehrik-e-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) that are active in Karachi - Commander Waliur Rehman group (from
South Waziristan), Badr Mansoor group (from North Waziristan) and Mullah
Fazlullah group (from Swat). The remaining Jehadi/Sectarian groups in Karachi
include Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan (SMP), Sunni
Tehrik (ST), Daawat-e-Islami (DeI), Harkatul Mujahideen (HuM), Harkatul
Mujahideen Al Alami (HUMA), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Jamaatul Furqaan (JuF),
Harkatul Jehadul Islami (HuJI), Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM),
Jundallah, Tehrik-e-Islami Lashkar-e-Muhammadi (TILM), Lashkar-e-Islami (LeI),
Mehdi Militia (MM), Hezbollah, Kharooj, Tawheed Brigade (TB), Al Mukhtar Group,
Punjabi Mujahideen etc.
Funding
Source
The Taliban linked militants make
money through criminal and heinous activities. Karachi is their cash cow and
primarily, they are generating funds for their organization by
1. Bank robberies
2. Kidnapping for Ransom and
3. Extortion
Bank Robberies
According to the Police, the Taliban are involved in 80% bank robberies, and 20
percent robberies are committed by criminal elements in the city from 2011 to
2013. The TTP recruits people from Karachi and robs banks and foreign exchange
companies to generate funds for terrorist activities. These tasks are assigned
to them by the central command in Waziristan. Several activists of TTP have
confessed to police that they have committed bank robberies to provide money to
the organization.
Kidnapping for Ransom
Kidnapping has become an industry in Karachi, a record-breaking number of cases
took place in Karachi, crossing more than a hundred. Kidnapping of high-profile
figures and businessmen for ransom is a major source of funding. Their targets
are traders, doctors, lawyers, private company owners and children belonging to
affluent families. Many cases of kidnapping are not reported to police, and
families decide to pay the ransom money quietly fearing of repercussions from
militants.
In 2008, prominent Pakistani filmmaker Satish Anand was
kidnapped in Karachi. He was eventually released in the Miran Shah area of
North Waziristan Agency after his family paid approximately $169,000 for his
release. In 2011, three Punjabi militants kidnapped a local industrialist Riaz
Chinoy and demanded approximately $740,000. Although they eventually lowered
their demands to $211,000, all three militants were killed after the police
raided the home in which they were holding Chinoy.
According to the data issued by CPLC, there were more than
one thousand cases registered from 2003 to 2012, 98% cases were solved and 248
gangs were apprehended.
Extortion
The banned TTP and LJ were earlier kidnapping traders for ransom. But now they
have changed their tactics and find extorting traders a much hassle free
option. Extortion is a key source of funds for the Taliban, especially from the
well-settled Pashtun businessmen in Karachi. They send a letter to them
demanding money and nobody dares to say no. And if they refuse, their families
and properties back will not be safe. They have also started extorting
multinational companies and food chains. If the target failed to fulfill their
demands they kill them mercilessly. Last year, the attacks on cell phone franchises
were a more dangerous extension of that tactic. Citizens now feel hesitant
going to public places as the militants have shown that they can strike
anywhere any time. They are using two ways of extorting Karachiites. They send
them extortion slip for full payment, or they make them pay a monthly
extortion. The crime investigation department had recently arrested several TTP
activists who were extorting people.
(There are many
professional criminals who had branded themselves Taliban for committing crimes.
Drawing a line between the real Taliban and fake Taliban, the security analyst
says that Taliban abduction for ransom had always been well calculated while
the fake Taliban would kidnap every person making irrational demands. A
number of local criminal gangs have also been involved in extortion. The
failure of the Police and administration to curb these groups has made Karachi
a playground for extortion. The most feared of all such criminal groupings is
the Lyari Gang operating in Karachi’s Lyari area. People’s Aman Committee (PAC)
is the political face of the Lyari Gang. )
Major
terror hits since 9/11 in Karachi
It should not be forgotten that
unrest in one part of the world affects the law and order situation in the
other parts too as the threat of terrorism has no borders. After 9/11, Karachi has
been one of the main targets of the Al-Qaeda linked banned organizations as it
is the major and important transit route used by US military during War on
terror.
June 2002: US Consulate Karachi, A truck with a fertilizer bomb driven by a
suicide bomber was detonated outside the Consulate. 12 persons, including five
women killed 51 injured.
Feb 2003: Gunmen attacked United States Consulate; two police officers were
killed and wounded five other officers and a civilian in front of the
consulate.
May 2004: Pakistan-American Cultural Centre and residence of the US
Consul-General in Karachi, Two car bombs exploded killing two persons and at
least 33 injured, mostly police and media personnel wounded.
June 2004:
Gunmen opened fire on a convoy carrying the corps commander Lt Gen Ahsan Saleem
Hayat, leaving 11 people dead in Karachi. The corps commander escaped unhurt.
Nov 2005: KFC restaurant in Karachi. At least three people killed and 20
others, including two South African women, sustain injuries in a powerful car
bomb explosion.
.o
Mar 2006: US Consulate in Karachi. A US diplomat his Pakistani driver and a
Rangers official were killed and 54 persons injured in a suicide car bombing.
October 2007
Attack on Benazir Bhutto’s rally killed over 139 in Karachi and left more than
450 injured in one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
Dec 2009: Ashura attack took place, a bomb blasted the Shi'ite procession
killing 43 people
November 2010: The Criminal Investigation Department targeted in Karachi.
At least 20 people killed and more than 100 injured in a suicide truck bombing.
May 2011: Mehran Naval Base attacked in Karachi, killing at least nine people
and destroying two P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft.
November 2012: Rangers Headquarters targeted, A suicide
bomber slammed an explosives-laden truck into one of the entrances of the
Rangers compound killing 3 ranger personal and 21, including civilians injured.
Challenges:
Militancy and terrorism are the
biggest challenges facing liberal political parties, civil society and law
enforcement agencies. The Taliban often threaten government officials, security
personnel, political leaders and workers. MQM is the only political party that
has consistently talked about the Talibanization of Karachi and has been a
vocal critic of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan. Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah
Ehsan, in a statement said that they had decided to target the MQM. In
terrorism related violence MQM has lost 222 activists including leaders in
Sindh in the last two years. In this year January, Tehrik-e-Taliban claimed
responsibility on the attack of MQM Member of provincial Assembly Manzar Imam.
The Awami National Party (ANP) is
being threatened by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to end political
activities in Pukhtoon-dominated areas of Karachi. They also claimed
responsibility for the assassination of the workers of the Awami National
Party. On the other hand, ANP Sindh leader Bashir Jan says that The Taliban
have killed some of their people in Karachi but they are not responsible for
all the killings.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik
informed the Senate that Taliban wanted to take over the Karachi offices of the
Awami National Party (ANP) and interior ministry had informed the party
leadership about these threats.
According to Police, A letter
containing a hit-list has been intercepted, which includes Abdul Sattar Edhi
Pakistan’s most revered social worker and a “living saint” who runs the country’s
largest charity, which operates hundreds of ambulances and shelters for women,
children and the destitute. In December 2012, Gunmen killed six health workers
during a nationwide polio vaccination drive. Later on police arrested five alleged
Taliban on suspicion of killing women polio vaccinators and plotting to attack
Karachi airport.
Police and rangers officers who are working
to destroy the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its linked militant organizations
in Karachi are on the TTP’s hit list.
Threats to Media:
Journalists are also facing threats
in the performance of their professional duties. According to the report issued
by the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) of the interior ministry, TTP
chief Hakimullah Mehsud has compiled a list of targets and directed the group’s
fighters to launch attacks against national and international media outlets in
the country especially Karachi. Several prominent journalists are on the list. Some
terrorist groups have also planned attacks on offices and studios of media
houses, and the Taliban have also threatened media outlets through emails and
phone calls as well.
Terrorism Related
Fatalities in Sindh: 2010- 2013
Years
|
Civilians
|
Security Force
Personnel
|
Militants
|
Total
|
2010
|
777
|
61
|
158
|
996
|
2011
|
1082
|
61
|
68
|
1211
|
2012
|
1318
|
118
|
117
|
1553
|
2013
|
109
|
14
|
6
|
129
|
Total*
|
3286
|
254
|
349
|
3889
|
Source: SATP, *Data till January 27, 2013
There have been a total of 3889 casualties due to terrorist
activities in Sindh from 2010-2013, which include civilians, security personnel
and militants.
Role of Government (Action
Against Taliban)
The Supreme Court has ordered the
government of Sindh, to take the issue of the presence of the Taliban in the
capital city of Karachi seriously. Reports say at least 5, 000 to 7,000
Pro-Taliban militants have made their way into the country's largest city and
its commercial hub.
Law enforcement agencies have arrested several key suspects
of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in search operations. During the
targeted operations, Karachi Police also recovered weapons, bullets, suicide
jackets and stolen vehicles, from their possession.
Conclusion
Despite the rampant Talibanization of the city which
continues on the sidelines, Karachi continues to function as the economic lifeline
of the country and cannot be ignored or left to bleed. It required emergency political
and security measures to end the ongoing violence. Peace can only be restored
by depoliticizing the police and other security agencies and it is the responsibility
of the ruling political parties to come to some form of agreement to save the
city, as an unstable Karachi will destabilize the entire country.
Although the city remains widely covered in the news for its
volatile security situation, corruption and crime life continues to go on in
the city. A city that has become labeled as dangerous and unstable is also the
financial and fashion capital of the country. While incidents of target
killing, inflation and load shedding continue, what also continue on are the
vibrant cultural happenings across the city. Fashion shows, theatre, festivals
and other activities are often left out in the news stories. These happenings
show that no matter what, life in Karachi goes on. This highlights the
resilient nature of its citizens that fight social and political injustices with
every day. The energy of the people of Karachi, and subsequently the city itself
is palpable.
As a born-and-bred
Karachiite told me, “You can’t live with Karachi, but you can’t live without
it.”
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Written
and Produced by
Najia
Ashar
Anchor/Producer
Geo
News