Pakistan Reeling

[sabrina 1]

The murder of a Pakistani Politician last week sparked riots that closed down the city of Karachi for several days. It is believed he was killed because of his anti-Taliban position.

AL-QAEDA MEDDLES WHILE KARACHI BURNS

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani police claimed on Tuesday that a lawmaker from the Muthahida Quami Movement (United National Movement - MQM), Syed Raza Haider, had been murdered by the al-Qaeda-backed South Waziristan-based Fazl Mehsud group.

Haider and his bodyguard were killed on Monday by gunmen at a mosque in the Nazimabad area of the southern port city of Karachi.

The killing sparked violence in Karachi, with at least 65 people killed in clashes between supporters of the anti-al-Qaeda MQM and pro-militant groups. Hundreds of buildings and vehicles have been destroyed and the city remains extremely tense and virtually closed down after overnight fighting on Tuesday.

The unrest comes at time the country is reeling from its worst floods in living memory, with vast parts of northwestern Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province, southern Punjab and parts of Balochistan affected.

The number of dead has risen to 85. Supplies for NATO forces were cut off during the violence. This was very likely one of the goals of Al Queda who were behind the violence as the U.S. plans to escalate the war go into effect.


http://www.ufppc.org/us-a-world-news-mainmenu-35/9864-news-karachi-closed-down-pakistan-reeling.html

... "Karachi's closure has completely choked the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO's) supplies, of which more than 60% of non-fuel supplies and up to half of the fuel used by Western forces in Afghanistan passes through the port city," Syed Saleem Shahzad said. -- Shahzad gave a capsule history of Karachi and an analysis of its politics, concluding that the city is in "a highly explosive situation, and one that could again erupt into flames at any time." -- The death toll in Karachi has reached 85, and violence was continuing, AFP reported late Friday. -- The enormous floods that have hit Pakistan are so catastrophic, with the prospect of more monsoon rain to come, that BBC's correspondent was at a loss to describe the situation. -- CBS News reported that two Western ambassadors, speaking anonymously, warned that "It is vital for everyone-in and outside Pakistan, to closely consider the political fallout from this very nasty situation and move swiftly to deal with it."

The catastrophic floods in Pakistan have devastated the country and the absence of Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani who was visiting the British Prime Minister in London while his country was suffering the worst disaster in its history has caused even more anger at the government. He returned to Pakistan yesterday to a country reeling from both the floods and the violence in Karachi.



Pakistan floods 'hit 14m people'

BBC's Adam Mynott: 'It's a catastrophe... and that's no overstatement'

The worst floods in Pakistan's history have hit at least 14 million people, officials say.

Twelve million are affected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces, while a further two million are affected in Sindh.

In Indian-administered Kashmir, at least 113 people died in mudslides.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that a charity connected to a group with alleged al-Qaeda links has been providing flood relief.

Flooding has submerged whole villages in the past week, killing at least 1,600 people, according to the UN.

And the worst floods to hit the region in 80 years could get worse, as it is only midway through monsoon season.

Latest reports say that arrests have been made and that the city of Karachi is slowly getting back to normal but the tension between the anti-Taliban and pro-Taliban forces has not subsided and many believe it could erupt again.

Prime Minister Gilani has met with representatives of three political parties, the MGM (the U.S. leaning party of the lawmaker who was murdered last week)the PPP and the ANP and announced they have agreed to a plan to cooperate to keep violence from erupting again.


MQM, ANP agree on ‘code of conduct’ for peace in Karachi

KARACHI: After days of targeted killings, the PPP, MQM and ANP signed on Saturday a ‘code of conduct’ to restore peace in Karachi. The parties resolved to sit together and address core issues concerning the city.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani broke the news about the signing at a news conference at the Chief Minister’s House after meetings with Sindh’s coalition partners and top officials of law-enforcement agencies.

It was signed by Rashid Rabbani of the PPP, Raza Haroon of MQM, Afrasiab Khattak of ANP and Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

Mr Gilani, who had arrived here on Friday afternoon, said the leadership of three parties had agreed to take extra measures for creating an environment conducive to political harmony and addressing the core issues.

It is a powder keg. Hopefully they can succeed but with the huge presence of Al Queda there and their many sympathizers, it will not be easy.

Meanwhile the flood waters keep rising and officials and rescue workers say they cannot keep up with the crisis.

And the War in Afghanastan rages on ...

[Turborama]

1. Hi Sabrina, that second link didn't work for me

I got this...

"Not Found

The requested URL /discuss/ww.ufppc.org/us-a-world-news-mainmenu-35/9864-news-karachi-closed-down-pakistan-reeling.html was not found on this server.

Apache/1.3.31 Server at www.democraticunderground.com Port 80"

BTW have you read this NYT article?

Sectarian Clashes Surge in a City in Pakistan’s Heartland
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/world/asia/08faisalabad.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&src=ig#

ETA These two are worth a read, too...

Criticism of Zardari in Pakistan hides a political game
By M Ilyas Khan
BBC News, Islamabad
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10901583

Zardari will return to a nation ready to vent anger
By Omar Waraich in Islamabad
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/zardari-will-return-to-a-nation-ready-to-vent-anger-2045894.html

[sabrina 1]

2. Hi Turborama

Thank you for telling me about the link. I have fixed it now. Couldn't format it with the <a href="> for some reason.

No, I have not read any of those links, but am off to do so now. Thank you so much for posting them.

It is a mess over there and seems to be getting worse. And that's not even thinking about the Indian/Pakistan/Kashmir situation.

And the flooding is just tragic and with no end in sight.

Going to check out your OP and then will read your links ...

[Turborama]

3. Thanks for fixing the link, it's a very interesting article

Also, this picture you posted is incredible...



BTW 33 Indian soldiers were swept away and they now are asking for help from Pakistan: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4496345

[sabrina 1]

5. Yes, the story is very interesting. Btw,

I cannot edit it now, but I mistakenly stated that it was the PM, Gilani who was out of the country, rather than the President. Thanks for your link explaining how the military is manipulating the press on that.

I just read that Gilani, who appears to be a pretty strong leader under a lot of pressure, is defending the president stating that so long as the PM and other members of the Government were present in the country, there was no need for the President to cancel his trip.

Yes, that photo is awesome, beautiful but so terrifying at the same time.

[OhioChick]

4. That picture should be on a magazine cover....

I'm speechless. Words can't express how awful that is.

[sabrina 1]

6. It's hard to grasp the numbers of people afected, over 14 million

so far and the rescue workers, the military and other relief workers are unable to meet the demands of those now homeless. And this is only the beginning of the Monsoon season so it is expected to get worse.

Yes, that photo is stunning ....

This one is heart-breaking and only a tiny example of what rescue workers are faced with ...



Over 1,600 people are reported to have died already ... it reminds me of Katrina :cry:

[OhioChick]

8. That is heartbreaking...

They can't seem to catch a break from all the rains. :(

[sabrina 1]

10. Yes, it's too late to edit and caption the photo

but the were sitting on the roof of a Mosque as the waters were rising so all that water we can see in the photo is covering what used to be a street.

[Turborama]

11. Could they be these people?

If so, I'm glad they got picked up.

This is another powerful one that got to me, too...

[sabrina 1]

12. Yes, I believe those are the same people Turborama.

And yes, I am glad they were rescued, although the mother whose child is being passed to the helicopter was worried, as any mother would be, according to the caption I should have included.

That last photo is amazing. I don't know how he got that far with nothing but that rope. How terrifying for those watching but it shows how resilient people can be. I hope he made it safely with no injuries.

Now they have to worry about food distribution for so many people. And about more rain.

Thank you for the photo, Turborama.

[northernlights]

7. omgih that picture is terrifying...

:(

[underpants]

9. Yes that is amazing

yikes.