There seems to be no relief for the Lyariites, as the oldest area of the metropolis Karachi throbs, oozing blood. The population of Lyari is engaged in a mental, emotional and physical conflict, but there seems to be no end to their misery. They remain on the periphery of daily politics in Pakistan. The administration is ‘taking care’ of the situation with constant cross firing and use of other weapons, allegedly from both sides.
Infuriated at being constantly being labeled as gangsters and criminals, the people of Lyari keep verbally lash out to anyone who will listen to them. But their angry protests of being treated like criminals fall on deaf ears from Karachi to the capital. No help seems to come their way, only APCs and security personnel. These angry people deserve to be heard so that the gap of communication between them and the administration is plugged and efforts made to bring peace for the large number of people who are victims of the whole situation.
Lyari famous for giving the city and country a variety of sportsmen/women – boxers, footballers and athletes and sporting a football stadium and arena where these sportsmen/women could have been trained to represent their country at any international event, is dying a slow and painful death, but no one seems concerned enough to make an effort to put a balm on their wounds.
Instead the ‘miscreants’ and security forces are locked in a constant battle, with grenades being lobed from one side and volley after volley of bullets streaming blindly into the general populace. There is no doubt that it is difficult for the administration to sift the criminals from the general populace; but the number of innocent people caught in this blood battle is larger and they are getting angrier by the day. Their lives are at a standstill, everything is at a dead-end. Trade and education is badly affected. Mere lip service is enough. These people demand action.
The stark absence of anyone making an effort to put thing in order is affecting the people but the children more who are not only missing school, they are missing out on a secure carefree childhood which the right of every child. These children are being scarred for life and will probably grow up angry with hatred for all brimming from their souls. They will remember how frustrated their childhood had been when they sat scared by the scary voices of zooming bullets and blasts. They will remember that no one came to their aid. No one came to give them food, when they were hungry and they felt angry when their helpless parents couldn’t even go out to get milk for their youngest sibling. They will remember how they aging and ill grandparents suffered because no one dared venture out to get their medicines. Who will they support? The PPP, MQM, the PMLs, PTI, JUI or ANP? They will support no one. They will remember that the leaders and the rest of the city didn’t once stop the cycle of their routine lives to intervene and try stop the waging battle in Lyari.
Things are extremely bad in Lyari, the people of the city should pressurize the administration and politicians at every level to wake up and shoulder their responsibilities. Using arms will not solve anything, it never has. There is dire need for talks for peace that should be initiated. This is a good time, the people of Lyari maybe angry but they are still open for discussion. If this time is allowed to lapse it could be too late, and the situation may be impossible to salvage.
The situation in Lyari needs to be resuscitated, and now.
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