Prof. (Dr) Khurshid Alam

The move by MQM to meet all political parties and discuss the ways and means to make Karachi a city of peace once again, as it was once upon a time, is indded a good move. Peace is impossible in Karachi without the sincere involvement of MQM. Even government and law enforcing authorities cannot achieve it without missionary involvement of MQM. MQM has the tacit support of 70-80% population of the Urdu and Gujrati speaking people. It is a commendable political force that cannot be ignored. In elections a lead of 70,000 to one lakh in each constituency is self speaking. So it is beyond logic to think of failure that if a party with such a large following wants that peace should be restored will not succeed. They bear the major responsibility in restoring peace. Apart from numerical strength they have the means and resources. It is no point to trace the events retrospectively to find out that who or when this blood bath started. I have been the student of Dow Medical College from 1963 to 1968 and then started my career in Jinnah Post graduate institute till 1972, when I left for UK. Being a student activist there is hardly any event that I don't remember that ultimately led to the present state. The vicious germs of hatred and intolerance was sown at that time by the rulers for their vested interests. ANP under the leadership of Afzal Bangash and Ajmal khattak paid several visits to patch up between the two sides. Unfortunately Bacha khan was refused to enter but Wali khan did pay a visit and frankly admitted that the MQM is a political force that cannot be ignored, but we are no one to give away someone's land to provide them the basis of nationality status. The shifting of capital, the lack of opportunities, the ever increasing explosion of population created feeling of deprivation but it was unfortunate that it was soaked in the poison of ethnical hatred rather than tracing the real reasons, the lack of opportunities.This inhuman game was started in Ayub's reign by Gauhar Ayub. He used Pakhtun for his nefarious designs but did nothing for the poor Pakhtun. One could smell the foul and many of our colleagues in national students federation were predicting the bloody future. NSF was mohajirs dominated organisation supported by Pakhtun Students Federation, Baloch Students Organisation, East Pakistan students union and Jiye Sindh Students Federation.   In spite the staunch and unwavering support of Pakhtun nationalist movement to Fatima Jinnah and their political struggle against all dictators could not save the immigrant Pakhtun labourers from onslaught of mohajirs. To them Ayub and Pakhtun were synonymous. In mid seventies the students political power shifted to Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba and followed by the emergence of Mohajir students, that grew into MQM. I am trying to avoid any blame game but just to put the historical events in proper order and discuss the major events. My main aim is that if MQM is really interested to restore peace there should be no finger pointing from our side. We must bury the dump of the hatred of the past. Pakistan political life did not start in eighties. There are few points regarding Pakhtun immigrants that must be considered.Pakhtun is the second oldest community after Makranis. At the time of partition they numbered 40,000. Their migration was under compulsion. They are political immigrants who had to leave their home and hearths because of the uneven investment and development.Unlike Urdu speaking Mohajir, Pakhtuns were forced for internal migration by the rulers. Economical theories were changed, the power and manpower followed the industry. Resulting in the forced migration of Pakhtuns, leaving behind an army of political widows and orphans. It was by their blood and sweat that Karachi became the hub of industrial output and economical capital. Karachi did not have even it's own clay. That was to be imported from interior Sindh. Karachi is the biggest Pakhtun city whether it is by default or by political victimisation. But it is a fact, to be accepted. Pakhtuns are economically or educationally not the direct competitors of Urdu speaking community. If a small percentage has acquired some financial base that has been achieved by hard labour and not through governmental perks.Their strength is their population. That has always been ignored by every successive governments. Constituencies have been carved in a way to disfranchise them. It is of utmost importance that they should have political voice to vent out their grievances. The denial to voice grievances leads to a pressure cooker effect. Explosion is bound to occur if the steam is not let out.Peace is the scream of humanity and essential for economical, social and educational progress. The more are the opportunities, the lesser are the chances of clash of interest.I am sure that if MQM makes a sincere effort there is little chance of failure. The joint struggle for peace can defeat the gangsterism and sectarian rivalries. Unity in diversity should be the basis of peace. Peace and non-violence are great human virtues.The diversity adds different colours and fragrance to the bouquet of peaceful co-existence.In initial days of mistrust, if a sincere effort would have been made to stem down the ethnical hatred would have not destroyed the peace of Karachi. Karachi was bustling city. The night life of footpaths was amazing. Playing cards, listening to old songs by old folks and we young used to walk from Dow to Clifton singing and dancing at 2 AM with no fear.Let us hope sanity prevails and peace returns to mini Pakistan. I owe to Karachi a lot. Apart from acquiring standard medical education it gave me the feeling how important is my own identity and how to co-habitat peacefully with others. I have great friends there even now. I owe them a lot.