Karachi: Pakhtoons being forced to leave the city

[Naveed Yaseen]

Over 400 Pukhtoons from NWFP, Afghanistan taking refuge in Ilyas Goth

Monday, December 08, 2008
By Aroosa Masroor

After the arrest of some Afghan refugees over suspicion of their alleged involvement in the recent riots and other crimes in Karachi, over 80 Afghan refugees along with Pukhtoons from the NWFP have returned to Peshawar.

The Afghan refugees settled in Korangi for over 15 years now had been enjoying the support of the Pukhtoons from the NWFP, however, the recent spate of ethnic violence that claimed over 49 lives has made them apprehensive.

Fearing the worst is yet to come, more than 12 Afghan families comprising over 40 members were seen heading back to the NWFP last week, where they had earlier taken refuge. From there, they had migrated along with the Pukhtoons from the NWFP to Karachi for better job prospects. However, the recent violence compelled them to return to the place from where they had come a decade ago.

“These families were asked to vacate their homes and shut their businesses in Sector A-50 in Korangi. They sought temporary refuge in Ilyas Goth with other Pukhtoon families, but after the three-day ethnic violence they now fear for their lives,” Mukhtiar Khan, driver of the truck, told The News just minutes before leaving. This was the second truck transporting people out of the city in a span of two days. There are more that await their turn.

According to details provided by locals in Ilyas Goth, chaos prevailed in A-50 last Sunday when one of the Afghan Pukhtoons, Jumma Gul, a scrap dealer, was shot at in his shop and later his dead body allegedly burnt. A night later, Shamshad, another Pukhtoon, was also shot. “Over these two days, men broke into the houses in our colony and stole our cash and other valuables threatening us of dire consequences if we did not leave the city,” one of the passengers Abdul Ghaffar said as the women - clad in the typical Afghan burqa - looked on.

Most of the displaced Pukhtoons taking refuge in Ilyas Goth of Bin Qasim Town comprise Afghan refugees. Some, however, are locals too. Currently, there are over 400 of them who were displaced after the violence and were mostly residents of Sector A-50 in Korangi.

Unsure of what fate has in store for them in the NWFP, most families are hesitant to leave and are waiting for things to settle down. Mukhtiar, however, is of the opinion that after the injustice meted out to them over the past few days, the refugees that have returned made a wise decision. “Bombings in Peshawar are frequent and life isn’t any safer there either, but at least these families will live with some dignity with other Pukhtoon brothers and not be labeled as the Taliban,” he said.

Most passengers looked upset over the allegation that they are being equated with the Taliban. “We have been scavenging garbage ever since we moved to this city. We barely make enough to have two meals a day, how do you think we would have the money to buy arms and ammunition?” questioned a young 22-year-old Habib.

The same question is disturbing the families of victims but there are no answers. “My son was not affiliated with any political party. Why was he tortured like that? If they wanted us to leave they could have warned us before, but why target the innocent?” wept Shamshad’s mother.

“Even the police asked us to vacate our houses when we told them we were being harassed. They advised us to submit and said if we wanted to prevent further violence we should do as asked, so we left the area,” recalled Kamal Khan, a senior member of the community, who has been living in Karachi for the past 20 years now.

Since most local and Afghan Pukhtoons are conservative and not literate, they are unable to read newspapers or follow news on television. “I had been hearing about some conspiracy linking us with the Taliban, but I thought it was just a rumour. It was not until we were attacked that I realized the gravity of the situation,” adds Khan.

Most families left behind their belongings at home as they ran fearing for their lives and are currently living in makeshift mud brick houses in the Goth.

When asked to comment, Faisal Edhi, son of Abdul Sattar Edhi, whose foundation has been providing food and blankets to the displaced families for almost a week now, said that the tension has deliberately been flared at this time because “the government wants to ignore the issue of rising urban poverty.”

Khan added that the government is trying to create jobs for its people and address the issue of poverty by asking the Pukhtoons to leave. “Now that the city is developed, they don’t need us and want us to return which is why false allegations are being leveled against us,” he believes.

Activists in the area somewhat agree. They added that the recent incidents were a sad reminder of a similar ethnic violence in the mid eighties. The feeling of insecurity, they predict, is here to stay and could also lead to further resentment among the Pukhtoons in the NWFP. “Ethnic cleansing will benefit no one,” said activist Tanveer Hasan.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=151137