Lahore, January 9, 2014: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed serious concern over the lack of protection for citizens’ lives in Lyari, and other violence-hit parts of Karachi, and demanded that the outrage over the killing of four members of a family and rape of a fifth reportedly over the victims’ political affiliation must lead to a clear compunction as to how the port city has been carved up among criminal groups affiliated with political parties.

In a statement issued on Thursday, HRCP said: “Violence in Karachi has become so commonplace that reports of ever more gruesome excesses against the citizens are usually taken in the stride. However, the recent killing in Lyari of four members of a family and rape of a woman because of their links with a political party is disturbing on many levels. The victims had apparently been expelled from the area by the local gang leaders because of the family head’s political affiliation. In explaining progress in catching the perpetrators, the police officials have highlighted that the motives were political, that the victims had dared to return to their house and the attack was a ‘revenge’ for that, and that the police were not informed in advance of the victims’ returning to their house in Lyari. Those tasked with protecting the people in Karachi certainly did not come across such alarming facts last week. That is a deplorable attempt at trying to dodge responsibility for failure to do basic policing.

Gang and turf wars in Karachi are not recent but stooping to such lows and raping a woman because of her father’s political affiliation certainly is! Quotes by Genghis Khan come to mind.

Blame must be laid squarely at the doorstep of the political parties that have either actively supported or acquiesced in carving up the city along ethnic lines. HRCP hopes that they would actively support, or at least no longer create obstacles in ridding Karachiof their present or former criminal surrogates. HRCP believes that while failing to put an end to the bloodshed in Karachi, the government is defaulting on its obligation to protect people’s right to life and all other rights that follow. It must show that it is at least trying to keep up in its efforts to improve the state of affairs as the city plunges into ever deeper turmoil.”

Zohra Yusuf
Chairperson