Target Killings of Pashtuns in Karachi

[Musafira]

I was wondering if anyone here has first hand knowledge about this. If so I have a few questions for you to answer please

Are the Pashtuns targeted usually from a particular area? Like originally from Quetta, Khyber-Pashtunkwa , Afghanistan or are they usually born and raised in Karachi?

Are there certain Pashtun businesses that see more of these attacks or are they completely random?

What do you think are the motives for these attacks? Are they political or economic?

How has the Pashtun community responded to these attacks?

I'm sure I'll think of more questions later but this is all for now

[karachipashtun]

I was wondering if anyone here has first hand knowledge about this. If so I have a few questions for you to answer please

Are the Pashtuns targeted usually from a particular area? Like originally from Quetta, Khyber-Pashtunkwa , Afghanistan or are they usually born and raised in Karachi?

All Pashtuns are targeted. Afghanistan Pashtuns and Pakistan Pashtuns. Area does not mater. To them a Pathan is a Pathan. They dont care or know much about about tribes and dialects.

Are there certain Pashtun businesses that see more of these attacks or are they completely random?

Pashtuns in Karachi have monopolized clothing business and selling bread business. you know like my English is not so good but what I am trying to say is like naan wala. And we in Karachi run transportation. so when MQM and them get mad at us they burn our buses, close our stores and put fire to our businesses. When they see a Pashtun they even rip of our ears.

What do you think are the motives for these attacks? Are they political or economic?

Political. All political we pashtuns have high birth rates and they get scared that we will get dominant.

How has the Pashtun community responded to these attacks?

By har-taal and protesting. We also take revenge.

I'm sure I'll think of more questions later but this is all for now

Ok.

[Musafira]

One of my friends was telling me earlier today about two brothers from Quetta who were working at a chai shop and were shot a few days ago. Did either of you hear about that? What about neighborhoods in Karachi? Are most of the attacks in poorer areas or is it very random? Have Pashtun women or children ever been shot in these attacks? As a result of these attacks to most/many Pashtuns carry a weapon to defend themselves?

[Musafira]

Thank you all for taking the time to answer my questions to try to help me to understand. It's hard for me to imagine what it must be like being a Pashtun in Karachi.

[Khushal Khan Khattak]

Thank you all for taking the time to answer my questions to try to help me to understand. It's hard for me to imagine what it must be like being a Pashtun in Karachi.

It is really bad. MQM there is really militant and fascist. They just kill Afghans (Pushtuns) for fun. Nobody will challenge them or even drag them to the courts because they are afraid.

Worst part is ANP acting like a fag/ fruit cake, they have forgotten the way of their Afghan fore fathers and would rather like to follow the non violence self failing philosophy.

If anyone is responsible for the killing of the Afghans of Karachi whether from Khyber, Balochistan or Afghanistan, it is these ANP people.

[Palwasha]

They* are cowards, they don't fight like men, not only due to the use of guns on the vulnerable, but in large numbers they will target individuals. However, I wouldn't say *every* Pashtun has it so bad in Karachi, it's mainly the poor, as always, who are the ones that suffer.

* not sure if it's just the MQM, possibly others also.

[Musafira]

It is really bad. MQM there is really militant and fascist. They just kill Afghans (Pushtuns) for fun. Nobody will challenge them or even drag them to the courts because they are afraid.

Worst part is ANP acting like a fag/ fruit cake, they have forgotten the way of their Afghan fore fathers and would rather like to follow the non violence self failing philosophy.

If anyone is responsible for the killing of the Afghans of Karachi whether from Khyber, Balochistan or Afghanistan, it is these ANP people.

I don't know much about Pakistani politics. Can you tell me what ANP could do ? The ANP leaders are afraid of being killed if they make this an issue? What political party do most Pashtuns in Karachi support?

[Musafira]

They* are cowards, they don't fight like men, not only due to the use of guns on the vulnerable, but in large numbers they will target individuals. However, I wouldn't say *every* Pashtun has it so bad in Karachi, it's mainly the poor, as always, who are the ones that suffer.

* not sure if it's just the MQM, possibly others also.

So it's rare for these things to happen in the richer neighborhoods? I mean do Pashtuns in areas like Defense & Clifton feel safe ?

[Palwasha]

So it's rare for these things to happen in the richer neighborhoods? I mean do Pashtuns in areas like Defense & Clifton feel safe ?

I'd say the richer areas are less likely to be affected, as in Pakistan, along with many other places, money means power, so they're more safe. I'm not sure about Defense, but as far as I know Clifton isn't too bad either. I haven't heard much about Pashtuns being targeted there, but I'd have to ask those I know who live there.

I'm pretty sure we also have some members here from Karachi, who may be able to shed some light on the issue..?

[Musafira]

How do the attacks usually happen? I am under the impression that the shootings are usually done by men on motorbikes. Is that correct? Are they usually at night or both day & night?

[pekhawar]

This kind of stuff does not exist in Pekhawar except our occasional suicide attacks which we still don't know who are responsbile for.

But when I went to Karachi I felt inferior and disrespected. Those mohajirs really run the show there and most of them are really rich. Even the memons disrespect us Pashtuns.

The reason for this is yes we have good businesses but the majority of us are chookidaaran we are gatewatchers or we work in the sun. In Karachi I would say a million Pashtuns just pick up garbage for living.

[Levanaye Zalmaye]

From what I have heard they attack them mainly for political reasons, Lets see they MQM or PPP is mad at Pashtuns, They will attack ordinary Pashtun citizens just to send a message to there political party.

They usually destroy all there businesses.

Political and ethnic reasons. The MQM hates 'Pathans'.

One of my friends was telling me earlier today about two brothers from Quetta who were working at a chai shop and were shot a few days ago. Did either of you hear about that? What about neighborhoods in Karachi? Are most of the attacks in poorer areas or is it very random? Have Pashtun women or children ever been shot in these attacks? As a result of these attacks to most/many Pashtuns carry a weapon to defend themselves?

Such an occurrence wouldn't be too rare. Yes, they're in poorer areas and women are spared because they're usually at home. Many kids working at chai shops lose their lives during the bad times though. Most Pashtuns here are too poor to carry weapons, they're laborers who work on the 'daily contract' system.

It is really bad. MQM there is really militant and fascist. They just kill Afghans (Pushtuns) for fun. Nobody will challenge them or even drag them to the courts because they are afraid.

Worst part is ANP acting like a fag/ fruit cake, they have forgotten the way of their Afghan fore fathers and would rather like to follow the non violence self failing philosophy.

If anyone is responsible for the killing of the Afghans of Karachi whether from Khyber, Balochistan or Afghanistan, it is these ANP people.

KKK, you're putting undue responsibility on ANP's shoulders. ANP talks about nonviolence but its workers practice anything but nonviolence on the streets. For example, last month's killing spree started when MQM workers killed a Pashtun businessman. ANP responded by killing one of MQM's workers. Tit for tat. However, what happened next way beyond anything ANP could handle. MQM sent its unit ghundas to burn an ANP office and at the same time, up to 10 ANP workers and party official were killed in different parts of Karachi. It became a free for all then. MQM started killing any Pathan they could find on the streets. The ANP took a funeral procession to the governor's house and it too was attacked by "unknown assailants". Can any human being put up with this savagery? As far as I remember, the ANP managed to take down an MQM union councillor but in the end, 35 Pashtuns were killed, out of which around 15 were ANP workers as opposed to 3 MQM workers in all. The bottom line is that you can't mess with them here - they're too brutal, they're too savage and they're just too well organized. And they have own the local and provincial government. I even posted a Dawn article about last month's killings with all the details, look it up.

I'd say the richer areas are less likely to be affected, as in Pakistan, along with many other places, money means power, so they're more safe. I'm not sure about Defense, but as far as I know Clifton isn't too bad either. I haven't heard much about Pashtuns being targeted there, but I'd have to ask those I know who live there.

I'm pretty sure we also have some members here from Karachi, who may be able to shed some light on the issue..?

There are hardly any criminal political activities in DHA unless of course you're a high-value target. For example, Tariq Khan Wazir was gunned down outside his home near Sea View around 3 years ago by "unknown assailants on motorbikes". No investigation has taken place. But target killing of ethnic groups doesn't take place here.

[єѕαρχαι]

It all started since the rule of ayyub khan ?

[Musafira]

Levanaye Zalmaye
How do you think Pashtuns should respond to these attacks? Do the police do anything? What does MQM hope to accomplish by doing this? Do they think Pashtuns will leave Karachi if they do this enough?

[Levanaye Zalmaye]

It all started since the rule of ayyub khan ?

Some people trace it back to that era. But I don't agree with that. Ayub brutally put down many processions and he was widely regarded as a "Pathan" even though he was a Hazaraiwal. There was a famous incident during Ayub's era if I'm not mistaken. Basically, a Pashtun bus driver ran over a Mohajir girl. The Mohajirs in retaliation attacked Pashtun homes. The Pashtuns organized themselves and at night, attacked and burnt to the ground an entire Mohajir locality. MQM supporters never fail to cite this because they've always played the victim card.

Here's a time-line of the violence. It's not comprehensive but it gives a general idea.

Levanaye Zalmaye
How do you think Pashtuns should respond to these attacks? Do the police do anything? What does MQM hope to accomplish by doing this? Do they think Pashtuns will leave Karachi if they do this enough?

The killing is done for different reasons. For example, last year, MQM started stirring up things by killing Pashtuns when the central government decided to scrap the local bodies system. This was done to show the center that the MQM can set Karachi on fire when it wanted to and it shouldn't be messed with. The center budged and the local government system was preserved in Sindh but the deaths of 30 or so Pashtuns went unnoticed almost.

The MQM is also upset about so many Pashtuns coming to Karachi everyday. Buses full of families come here to get settled. The MQM has time and again tried to send a strong message to them to stop coming to Karachi but it has failed.

The police officers here are handpicked by the MQM. The PPP government came in and appointed a Khattak Pashtun as the Inspector-General and the MQM wanted him out. However, it's unfortunate to see that Khattak has done nothing because he is powerless. The only way to end the target killings is by finishing off those who initiate them - the MQM.