Karachi violence beyond comparison

It would be a euphemism to describe what happened in Karachi on Wednesday as the diabolical political routine of the metropolis. Undoubtedly, the events relating to former federal minister, Dr Sher Afgan and former Sindh chief minister, Dr Arbab Rahim, over the last four days pale in comparison with Wednesday's Karachi violence: eight people were killed - including five lawyers who were burnt alive in a building adjacent to downtown City Courts - during clashes between anti-and pro-Musharraf supporters who include two rival groups of lawyers.
The violence swept Karachi, the city of teeming millions which has an unfortunate history of bomb blasts and ethnic and sectarian killings, when alleged activists of MQM and those supporting lawyers' anti-Musharraf movement clashed at Malir Bar offices over the attack on Dr Sher Afgan, while mobs setting dozens of vehicles and some buildings and banks on fire, gutting at least two buildings, including the offices of Malir District Bar Association in Malir. As many as five charred bodies were recovered from Tahir Plaza, one of the buildings which houses offices and chambers of lawyers. The hospital also confirmed 15 injured.
According to reports, those involved in acts of violence were showing no sympathy, kindness or fear as they appeared to be as hard as nails. They appeared to be an unrepentant lot of people who show no shame about their actions. As soon as the news of violence spread in the nook and corner of the city, all business activities came to a grinding halt as what usually happens under such situations the very thought of any disturbance gives Karachiites palpitations.
The tension in the city was palpable by the evening. It was inevitable that there would be violence in Sher Afgan's hometown Mianwali where enraged mobs led by his son, who is Mianwali Tehsil Nazim, set on fire lawyers offices. However, little did anyone apprehend the perpetration of such dastardly acts of terrorism in Karachi, a city far away from Mianwali or even Punjab's capital Lahore where the former parliamentary affairs minister was badly pummelled by an angry mob of lawyers.
The two rival groups of lawyers have accused each other of Wednesday's violence. The PPP-led government, which has, unfortunately, been facing unremitting hostility of lawyers fraternity since much before its prime minister Gilani could exert his full authority as he seems to be in a situation where he is required to understand the fact that these events are leading inexorably towards a crisis of a far bigger magnitude than what one could safely contemplate at this point in time.
All leaders of the lawyers' movement and political parties, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani and, of course, President Musharraf have strongly condemned the incident. Frustrated over his failure to protect the former minister from the anger of his professional colleagues, Aitezaz announced his resignation right after the ambulance carrying Sher Afgan left the scene. He later termed the incident as a conspiracy against the lawyers' movement, saying he saw policemen in plainclothes among those who beat up Afgan. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that the attackers included some lawyers as well, which is why he had announced his resignation.
The incident is a fresh example of increasing intolerance that has started to manifest itself with an alarming regularity at places where it should be least expected. Only last week threats of violence prevented the former chief minister of Sindh, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, from participating in the new provincial assembly's swearing-in ceremony.
When Arbab Rahim finally did go to the assembly, he had to face a shoe wielding attacker, who later appeared on a TV channel identifying himself as a doctor (contrary to some initial media reports, not someone who had worked as a servant for the former chief minister for four years), vowing to repeat his performance if an opportunity presented itself. Not long after the first dismissal of the deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, a prominent lawyer and TV personality Naeem Bokhari - whose circular letter was part of the malicious reference against the CJ - was manhandled when he ventured into the bar association's premises.
Soon thereafter, Barrister Waseem Sajjad was asked to leave the bar room in Karachi. Every time meek apologies were made by the lawyer leadership. But the undercurrent of intolerance remained, surfacing in the form of cancellation of the membership of those lawyers who rendered their services to the government side. This goes against an age-old tradition in the legal profession to accord respect to all sides pleading a case, no matter how unpopular.
It is possible that those who egged on the attackers were outsiders, as the PSBA President seemed to suggest; but the responsibility for what happened rests largely on the shoulders of the lawyers' movement. The government and the legal fraternity together must ensure that this dangerous tendency does not go any further.
Those guilty of violent attacks on their political adversaries must be brought to book, instead of being allowed to go scot-free even after openly bragging about their misdeeds. Television footage of the incident is available, which should make it easy for the police to identify and apprehend the culprits involved not only in Sher Afgan's beating but also Arbab Rahim's. Law and human dignity must be respected no matter what the provocation may be.
The entire nation is feeling ghastly today. These events could have tragic consequences for the future of the country. Since the economic aspects are equally important, the immediate fallout of these events could be a drastic cut in foreign investment. Any would-be investor will think ten times before venturing to place his chips here. Those, who are already here, may be thinking of ways to get out safely while the going is easy.
It is, therefore, imperative for the government to take all required steps aimed at damage control. While pacifying an agitated PML-Q, the PPP will also be required to bring the MQM in the loop again for the greater interest of the province, particularly Karachi.
Zardari, who took a historic step with his declaration at MQM headquarters Nine Zero last week, should not allow the situation to deteriorate further or fall victim to the machinations of those who, according to him, had been pitting the workers of the two parties against each other in the past. Such a course of action will enable him remove the widely held perception in the MQM rank and file that what Zardari told MQM chief was not completely sincere, but he fell for it hook, line and sinker completely.
Wednesday's events are inextricably linked with what has been happening in the country for the last few days. Not only are the members of lawyers community required to apologise unreservedly for the manhandling of Dr Sher Afgan and violence in Karachi, they must also realise that their pre-election strategy has not changed, although the situation they are in following the February 18 vote has changed.