Pak military's move Karachi part of "creeping coup"

[Rashna]

Pakistan military's move on Karachi seen part of "creeping coup"

ISLAMABAD: The chief of Pakistan's main spy agency is spearheading a campaign to wrest control of the teeming port city of Karachi from a powerful political party, the military's latest, and some say boldest, foray into civilian life in recent years.

According to military officials, police officers and members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party which has traditionally dominated Karachi, Rizwan Akhtar has decided the time for policing the city from the sidelines is over.

"There is a quiet, creeping takeover of Karachi by the military," said a government official close to Akhtar, head of of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, which traditionally acts as an extension of army power in Pakistan.

"Karachi is just too big ... too much land, too much business, resources. No one party will be allowed to rule Karachi from now on," added the official, who declined to be named.

The sweltering, violent metropolis is Pakistan's largest and wealthiest city. It accounts for half of national revenues and hosts the stock exchange, central bank and a giant port.

The military's crackdown in Karachi started late in 2013, when the murder rate soared and mutilated bodies were dumped in alleyways daily.

The operation, which escalated last month, is officially aimed at criminals and militants, but some say MQM is the real target.

Army spokesmen did not respond to requests for comment.

Weakening the MQM's grip, and particularly that of exiled leader Altaf Hussain, would free space for other political parties seen as more sympathetic to the military, like Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, led by former cricketer Imran Khan.


It would also give the army leverage over Pakistan's economic hub. That complements other steps taken in the last two years to tighten its grip on national security, foreign policy and the judiciary through the introduction of military courts.


The army's increasing influence could make it harder for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to deliver a rapprochement with India that he promised when he won elections in 2013.

Pakistan military's move on Karachi seen part of "creeping coup" - The Times of India

 

[Rashna]

re: Pakistan military's move Karachi part of "creeping coup"

Its good news for India, the pakistani army is engaged in a soft civil war within its own dominion. That leaves them too busy to be stirring the pot in India.:thumb:

 

[Ray]

re: Pak military's move Karachi part of "creeping coup"

Karachi to Pakistan is like Bombay to India. Commercial capital and the health index of the Nation.

All this hassle with MQM controlling Karachi with violence is seriously affecting the economy of Pakistan.

There is no way but to act.

But will it succeed?

It is a Mohajir stronghold and the 'sons of the soil' hate the Mohajirs.

Its good news for India, the pakistani army is engaged in a soft civil war within its own dominion. That leaves them too busy to be stirring the pot in India.:thumb:

They have their proxies like Hafeez Sayeed to operate having been given a free hand.

 

[Rashna]

re: Pak military's move Karachi part of "creeping coup"

These type of attempts were made in nineties too. A huge number of Mohajirs were killed in operations.

Its difficult to say whether it will succeed. As such pakistan's alliance is very uneasy and the ethnic unrest is a sitting time bomb.

Karachi to Pakistan is like Bombay to India. Commercial capital and the health index of the Nation.

All this hassle with MQM controlling Karachi with violence is seriously affecting the economy of Pakistan.

There is no way but to act.

But will it succeed?

It is a Mohajir stronghold and the 'sons of the soil' hate the Mohajirs.



They have their proxies like Hafeez Sayeed to operate having been given a free hand.

 

[Illusive]

re: Pak military's move Karachi part of "creeping coup"

Its good news for India, the pakistani army is engaged in a soft civil war within its own dominion. That leaves them too busy to be stirring the pot in India.:thumb:

No, its doesn't, Pak army are done with coups, a smart tactic i suppose. Sharif is a politician and a businessman, he understands his limits and he is willing to be a puppet as long as his business is secured. Works both ways, so in the end democracy is saved in Pak, Army gets a puppet and no sanctions from US due to coup.

The recent surge in Kashmir militants has been a result of these loonies getting freetime after after their bombardment in FATA.

They don't care for collateral unlike us or US. They want equilibrium back in Kashmir viz India and for that they are ready to kill their own citizens which they dont even care of.

But if recent event like TTP testing their missile is true then they are in for a long bloody fight.

Above news is just an example of pak way of removing problems out of their way.

 

[Zebra]

re: Pak military's move Karachi part of "creeping coup"

Pakistan military's move on Karachi seen part of "creeping coup"

ISLAMABAD: The chief of Pakistan's main spy agency is spearheading a campaign to wrest control of the teeming port city of Karachi from a powerful political party, the military's latest, and some say boldest, foray into civilian life in recent years.

According to military officials, police officers and members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party which has traditionally dominated Karachi, Rizwan Akhtar has decided the time for policing the city from the sidelines is over.

"There is a quiet, creeping takeover of Karachi by the military," said a government official close to Akhtar, head of of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, which traditionally acts as an extension of army power in Pakistan.

"Karachi is just too big ... too much land, too much business, resources. No one party will be allowed to rule Karachi from now on," added the official, who declined to be named.

The sweltering, violent metropolis is Pakistan's largest and wealthiest city. It accounts for half of national revenues and hosts the stock exchange, central bank and a giant port.

The military's crackdown in Karachi started late in 2013, when the murder rate soared and mutilated bodies were dumped in alleyways daily.

The operation, which escalated last month, is officially aimed at criminals and militants, but some say MQM is the real target.

Army spokesmen did not respond to requests for comment.

Weakening the MQM's grip, and particularly that of exiled leader Altaf Hussain, would free space for other political parties seen as more sympathetic to the military, like Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, led by former cricketer Imran Khan.


It would also give the army leverage over Pakistan's economic hub. That complements other steps taken in the last two years to tighten its grip on national security, foreign policy and the judiciary through the introduction of military courts.


The army's increasing influence could make it harder for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to deliver a rapprochement with India that he promised when he won elections in 2013.

Pakistan military's move on Karachi seen part of "creeping coup" - The Times of India

Democracy, typical Pakistani style.

 

[Rowdy]

re: Pak military's move Karachi part of "creeping coup"

Good. The stronger Pak army gets , the more isolation (mainly from India) we can enact. (i.e. No business visas etc.)
The less we negotiate, the weaker Pak gets and finally we will reach a point where India per head will be double of Pak ... All hopes of friendship will be wiped out.

 

[Sambha ka Boss]

re: Pak military's move Karachi part of "creeping coup"

No surpise, many in Pakistan still see Muhajirs as foreigners and have a strong dislike towards them mainly among Sindhis, Pashtuns and also Punjabis.

 

[Rashna]

re: Pak military's move Karachi part of "creeping coup"

They don't really need to go for a conventional take over, they call the shots anyway. Their COAS is a Sharif too and there is a Kashmiri nexus in pakistan. The Sharif's are of Kashmiri origin and Nawaz Sharif has put a number of butt's and other kashmiris in to various important roles. In all of this the only variable is the splinter groups and ethnic tensions within pakistan which force the pak army to look inward. Earlier the menace was restricted to balochistan and the restive NWFP but now the taliban can be found all over pakistan, and in Karachi they are present in huge numbers.

When the chinese came with their bag of goodies the one thing they have asked for is security for their people and investment. Its very clear that the Chinese investments will only fructify if they are satisfied with the security situation in pakistan. So this is a big challenge ahead for the Pak Army within its own borders.
The peshawar incident was a game changer in this regard. They finally woke up to the terrorism that was destroying them from within.

No, its doesn't, Pak army are done with coups, a smart tactic i suppose. Sharif is a politician and a businessman, he understands his limits and he is willing to be a puppet as long as his business is secured. Works both ways, so in the end democracy is saved in Pak, Army gets a puppet and no sanctions from US due to coup.

The recent surge in Kashmir militants has been a result of these loonies getting freetime after after their bombardment in FATA.

They don't care for collateral unlike us or US. They want equilibrium back in Kashmir viz India and for that they are ready to kill their own citizens which they dont even care of.

But if recent event like TTP testing their missile is true then they are in for a long bloody fight.

Above news is just an example of pak way of removing problems out of their way.

 

[zaib]

re: Pak military's move Karachi part of "creeping coup"

No surpise, many in Pakistan still see Muhajirs as foreigners and have a strong dislike towards them mainly among Sindhis, Pashtuns and also Punjabis.

There is not such a big issue like this when you observe the local level but there are few elements which dont want this issue to be solved because they are running their politics on this.

 

[Sambha ka Boss]

re: Pak military's move Karachi part of "creeping coup"

There is not such a big issue like this when you observe the local level but there are few elements which dont want this issue to be solved because they are running their politics on this.

I have heard about a place called Katipahari.

 

[Illusive]

re: Pak military's move Karachi part of "creeping coup"

They don't really need to go for a conventional take over, they call the shots anyway. Their COAS is a Sharif too and there is a Kashmiri nexus in pakistan. The Sharif's are of Kashmiri origin and Nawaz Sharif has put a number of butt's and other kashmiris in to various important roles. In all of this the only variable is the splinter groups and ethnic tensions within pakistan which force the pak army to look inward. Earlier the menace was restricted to balochistan and the restive NWFP but now the taliban can be found all over pakistan, and in Karachi they are present in huge numbers.

When the chinese came with their bag of goodies the one thing they have asked for is security for their people and investment. Its very clear that the Chinese investments will only fructify if they are satisfied with the security situation in pakistan. So this is a big challenge ahead for the Pak Army within its own borders.
The peshawar incident was a game changer in this regard. They finally woke up to the terrorism that was destroying them from within.

There is a lot of resentment against their Army in PoK, Balochistan, KPK and now they want to attack Mohajir's den. The Sharif's and Butts are not kashmiri, the true kashmiri stock is in India only, the valley people and the Kashmiri pandits. These guys are just punjabi settled in kashmir, so the people holding the important postion and most of the force btw has always been is a punjabi except maybe Ayub khan.

Chinese have been dangling the carrot of investment for a lot of time, instead they ended up buying aircrafts which pak was supposed to "manufacture"(assemble) at home. All these MoU's doesn't matter until Pak can control their country which they can't but trying to do.

 

[brational]

re: Pak military's move Karachi part of "creeping coup"

Foundation Stone of Sindhudesh has been laid.

 

[Blackwater]

re: Pak military's move Karachi part of "creeping coup"

Qaid- a- muhajir mottu shd revolt against army and attack them

 

[Kshatriya87]

re: Pak military's move Karachi part of "creeping coup"

Any reason why? Just the word "control" is too vague.

 

[ArmchairGeneral]

The Sharif's and Butts are not kashmiri, the true kashmiri stock is in India only, the valley people and the Kashmiri pandits.

False. Sharifs atleast have roots in Anantnag, IIRC.

 

[ezsasa]

Pak is going after MQM pretty desperately. Today baki idiots claimed MQM links with RAW.
looks like Baki Army needs karachi pretty bad for some thing.