And that chapter in history forms part of one of the grisliest moments in the annals of Karachi’s existence. But the violence witnessed at the hands of the law-enforcement personnel was matched by that unleashed by the mainstream MQM and the thugs of its breakaway faction, Haqeeqi.
So what went wrong? Veteran journalist Khaled Ahmed calls Lyari “the graveyard of governance.” But perhaps avarice and the lust for power are as much to blame as is the unbridled corruption of the local authorities and the lack of governance.Īt the height of the political violence in Karachi in the mid ’90s, only a few journalists and news publications dared to report the atrocities committed by the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in the course of ‘Operation Clean Up’ being conducted against the warring factions of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
The image of fleeing families, carrying with them their aged and infirm, small children and possessions, could be a page from Partition. The forced migration of Lyari’s indigenous communities like the Katchis, Memons, Ghanchis, Bohris, Hindus and scheduled castes such as the Meghawars, is reminiscent of another time and place. Infested with criminal gangs, its old buildings pock-marked by bullets, its streets a roller-coaster ride because of the craters left by rocket launcher hits, homes derelict, abandoned by third and fourth generation Lyari inhabitants, and a terror-struck population that remains - many of them the mothers of fallen sons and the children of fathers mowed down - the Lyari story is a sad, sorry one. I like your style of writing, especially the feelings and wibes of things described.Lyari is today a sad reminder of the past. In spite of all these notes, I still would have read a much longer story, and enjoyed it greatly. One thing left me puzzled though: Why didn't the Hellhounds get radiation sick? Or was it as was implied, that it wasn't their permanent "home"? How come they still called it home? I still think you could make it sadder by making Raxx have a wife/girlfriend and killing her. Yeah, I finished it, the ending was great, it caught me by surprise, and left a slightly sad feeling on the air. As for Raxx, a romance is always good for a motivation, (especially if she's dead), but a bit unoriginal.Īlso the storyteller seems sometimes all knowing, and sometimes it only knows the same as W, this all knowing thing only happens once or twice, but just popped on my mind. You should perhaps give some tip about his past, or make the time he spends in the town a lil' longer. I mean that there doesn't seem to be any obivious motivation for either of them to avenge anything, especially W. The point where W and Raxx decide to go on a revenge crusade seems a lil'thin. MILD SPOILER WARNING for people who haven't read this. I havent finished it all, but I'll also say something that disturbed me a bit: Whoa, that shit's great! The setting, the feeling and especially the very smudgy feeling I get from all the stuff and things is great!
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