The Other Side of Karachi City Alliance
BY: FARHEEN RIZVI

Lyari-based PPP leader Habib Jan Baloch has recently announced forming of a new platform called “Karachi City alliance”, which according to him, is being launched to restore the peace of the city. The major partners of the alliance are Uziar Jan Baloch, a leader of banned group by the Sindh government, Afaq Ahmad of MQM-H group and some others.  Habib Jan also announced the overseas committee which according to him will be lead by Major (Retd) Nadeem Dar.

Lyari is going through dysphoria for many years due to the gang war and criminal activities. Recently, the famous gang of Lyari called PAC was banned by the Sindh government and a notification was issued for the closing of its offices all over Sind. The SSP of CID, Chaudry Aslam, who is conducting operation against the criminals in Lyari, while being interviewed by a private news channel, said that these criminals living in Lyari are holding the area hostage and they are involved in heinous criminal activities since decades. He further said that he has ordered an operation across the board regardless of any political affiliation.

Habib Jan has been added to Exit Control list by the Interior Minister of Pakistan, Rehman Malik.  During the targeted operation in Liyari, Police raided the residence of Uzair Jan Baloch who according to CID is nominated in many FIRs for his notorious activities. These people claim to be the part of PPP, but the PPP has recently abandoned them completely by banning them through their provincial government and launching an operation against them.

Major (Rtrd) Nadeem Dar, who is nominated by Habib Jan Baluch to lead the overseas committee, is not an unfamiliar person in the political history of Karachi. Hamid Mir wrote in his article in September 2009 by quoting an interview of a retired Army General, who was the right hand of then COAS in 1992 operation “the retired Army Major Nadeem Dar was a conspirator who was involved with foreign elements to spark the civil war in Karachi”. General told him that Nadeem Dar seemed to be against that Karachi based political party but from inside he was involved with foreign elements whose plan was to disturb Pakistan by inciting a civil war in Karachi. The General further told him that the Army did Nadeem Dar’s court martial due to his involvement with foreign elements. The retired General went on to say that it was the foreign agenda to spark a conflict between the then federal government and that political party of Karachi. He was of the view that the ultimate target of such conspiracy was to set the federal government at variance with the Army chief which would have dragged the country towards destabilization and Nadeem Dar was the part of that foreign plan.

These revelations by a retired General were only the tip of the iceberg.  In an amazing turn of circumstances, Nadeem Dar managed to leave Pakistan for Norway in 1996 along with his family.  According to “UN Refugee Agency” he filed an asylum claim on the basis of his religious belief. UN Refugee agency’s documentation confirms that his case was denied by the Directorate Immigration in 2003 and an appeal was also rejected in 2004 by The Immigration Appeal Board of Norway on the ground that applicant failed to proof that he would be persecuted in Pakistan if he returns.

The nomination of Nadeem Dar as overseas leader for the “Karachi City Alliance” whose main agenda is to restore peace is a question mark on the motives of this alliance.  The person who was involved in destabilizing the city in past and was also involved in maligning the Law Enforcement Agencies internationally, is raising a serious concern among the citizens of Karachi.  The combination of Liyari’s criminal factor with a conspirator of a civil war in Karachi is a justified fear not only for the residents of Karachi but for the state of Pakistan.