Daily Times

The upcoming general elections are the first time in almost four decades when the people of Karachi will finally be allowed to freely exercise their mandate. With the end of the MQM’s militant politics, coupled with the arrest of Uzair Baloch, we are bound to witness a stark difference in the outcome of the elections.

Karachi initially started off as a small fishing village. By 1947, however, the city was already a major sea port and an economic hub. Having the honour of being Pakistan’s first capital, the city continues to serve as Pakistan’s financial capital. The city also boasts of a population of 22 million.

Once a diverse and prosperous city, Karachi suffered tremendously under Ziaul Haq’s military regime, and especially with the ascent of the MQM in the city. A city that was once characterised by a single party — the PPP — representing a plethora of ethnic and religious groups, unfortunately got embroiled in the politics of hatred and sectarianism.

The 80’s and the 90’s were by far the bloodiest years for the ‘Paris of the East.’ The bloodshed continued during Musharraf’s rule with incidents such as the 12th May tragedy haunting the city. The 2012 Baldia factory fire incident, moreover, traumatised every Karachiite beyond measure.

By now, even the most diehard proponents of a muhajir identity acknowledged that Altaf and his MQM had gone too far.

Every Karachiite will feel a sense of freedom when going to the polls this year. For the first time in several decades, no MQM sector in-charge will be able to force a voter to choose Altaf Hussain and his party

Concomitantly, a new force emerged in Karachi under the banner of the Peoples’ Aman Committee (PAC). Led by Uzair Baloch, the PAC terrorised not only Lyari but also areas extending as far as Malir and Hub in Balochistan.

Several operations were launched to put an end to this menace, with one resulting in a humiliating standoff where the police were unable to enter Lyari even a week after the operation’s commencement. Tension peaked close to the 2013 general elections when there seemed to be an imminent threat of bloodshed stemming not just from the MQM and the PAC, but also from elements linked with the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

Karachi has undergone a dramatic change since then. The MQM has been rendered toothless without Altaf Hussain’s iron grip and the Peoples’ Aman Committee is now defunct. Law enforcement agencies have ushered in a new era of peace and stability in the metropolis. Moreover, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in a jalsa on the 29th of April emphasised that Karachi is for everyone.

The jalsa in Liaquatabad — once a stronghold of the MQM — comes as a fresh breath of air for the city’s political landscape. The rally put an end to the politics of hatred and brought together Karachiites from all walks of life, be they Mohajirs, Sindhis, Pathans or Balochis.

The audience at the rally also broke into rapturous applause when Bilawal Bhutto Zardari proudly announced that no other innocent would suffer the wrath of the MQM, like Amjad Sabri was forced to do.

Unlike MQM jalsas in the past, the PPP jalsa did not seem forced under gunpoint. It was the first major political gathering of a national party in an area where the last jalsa of a similar nature had been Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s rally in 1974.

The rally made the local residents feel like they too had a role to play in shaping the national narrative, and highlighted the fact that they did not have to restrict themselves to local politics based on their identity.

Similarly, other areas of Karachi such as Lyari and Kati Pahari are now relatively safer compared to 2013 and political activity occurs unrestricted.

TV channels and journalists who once required permission from Uzair Baloch to enter Lyari, or from the MQM sector in-charge to enter certain areas now freely travel around, and are better able to reflect peoples’ opinions.

Every Karachiite will, thus, feel a sense of freedom when going to the polls this year. For the first time in several decades, no MQM sector in-charge will be able to force a voter to opt for Altaf Hussain and his party. With a majority of Karachi’s voters being under the age of 30, I have no doubt that the city will witness a dramatic improvement in the representatives it elects for Parliament.

The writer is a former diplomat and currently the chairman of an NGO. He tweets @nadirgabol

Published in Daily Times, May 4^th 2018.