SHIKARPUR ENGULFED IN TERRORISM/ 138 DEAD IN 2013

By Dr Agha Inamullah Khan

17th December 2013

Karachi

Where we speak of art, literature, poetry, music and the message of love, peace and harmony only; to be exact religion of people of Sindh over thousands of years of its ancient civilization; recent past has painted Sindh with more human blood shed, echoes of machine guns and rocket propellant grenades, sectarian violence among Mullahs' divided religious ideologies, political rivalries, socio-economic crises, honor killings mainly of women, child abuse, illegal occupation of lands, tribal wars, atrocities committed by triangular mafia of Police, medico legal officers and feudalism protected with hopeless corrupt judicial system, declining  literacy markers and last but not the least natural disasters; Sindh today especially Shikarpur district paints horrific hell on canvas of Pakistan.

For this year, the achievement figures for those who are often heard of yelling in their speeches to turn each city of Sindh in Paris and change the fate of poor especially those from Larkana to that of like Londoners, the death toll stands at 641, not adding the number of those who are victims of target killings each day in Karachi.

A total of 564 men, 57 women and 20 children were killed till of yesterday 16^th December 2013, this year. And to remind you these are official government figures collected on bases of routine reports of incidents many of which are not further maintained when police and the affected and accused sides compromise over some handsome amount, however double that figure is not reported at all.

Official figures put the number of tribal conflict incidents this year to 852 in Sindh claiming 641 dead and 1733 injured. Of injured 1581 were men and 152 women. The tribal terrorism resulted in kidnappings of 25 women and 60 men in random incidents all over Sindh. 127 incidents were reported in district Khairpur; the home town of the Chief Minister of Sindh Mr Qaim Ali Shah who has failed to deliver and is busy camouflaging the corruption of Colleagues by financing these days few extra million on stage shows promoting Sindh Culture and heritage by pushing Bhuttos' grandchildren Mr Bilawal and Miss Bakhtawar Zardari  hosting as mere puppets for a pre written script by big Boss, who yesterday had to fly in a private air craft of his billionaire friend Malik Riaz, for he was not feeling well. Why not!! The hospitals of Karachi and rest of Sindh suck anyway; where that filthy poor donkey lot is treated on mercy of paramedics only, because the government employed doctors with political references are busy romancing nurses, and the serious ones are busy studying for post graduate certificates to be flying out of this mess.

Mr Chief Minister Sahab , better spend those few million left in government funds on restoring law and  order situation in Sindh, we are not asking you for jobs with handsome salaries or enough to buy even a Tylenol for head ache from being tormented and torn apart wondering over our status quo or future of our children. Just spare us our lives, we will be grateful indeed. Please stop being hilarious on stage wasting the last left resources, making any more fake promises talking about pain of poor in your heart, such hypocrisy is not bought any more.

The ancient historical city, the gate way to Sindh from Persia and Khorasan, the once known heaven for international travelling merchants, the dry port of its times, my dear Shikarpur faces worst impact for the reasons mentioned and also due to its location just in the neighborhood of Baluchistan which has already raged after the brutal murder of their Bloch leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, now roaring for independence.

126 incidents of Tribal terrorism were reported in Shikarpur, 104 in Larkana (Bhuttos' home town). The highest number among dead 138 was reported in my home district Shikarpur, 104 in Larkana and 88 in Khairpur.

Local Sardars, settled about 261 disputes in various Jirgas, with total amount of penalities on various groups to be around PKR 505.1 million, 5 lacks and 75 thousand only.

What is police doing, obviously they are busy giving VIP protocols to the ministers.

Most of the criminals in Shikarpur comprising mainly Marfani tribe, many from Brohi tribes, Essani Tribes, Jafri Tribes, Jatois, Qambrani Tribes, Chandios are all being harbored and sheltered by big names in Shikarpur's political framework, and rest are used as militant force of Feudal lords, Sardars(Chiefs), who use them to fight for the strongest seat in power, having all kinds of weapons from shot guns, to Russian make Ak. 47s , G3s, LMGs, Anti air craft guns, and  Rocket propellant grenades.

The most notorious and furious wars in this district in recent past have been fought between Jatoi and Mahar tribes. Jatois being cast of Balouch who in Sindh speak dual languages, sindhi for social contacts and at home their mother tongue Balochi (called here Barochs). And Mahars being the original Sindhi locals. One sheltered by Jatoi brothers who are now popularly called as Bugtis of Sindh namely Dr Ibrahim jatoi who has served as provincial health minister in past and his brother Abid Hussain who coordinates the militancy side where needed. Whereas on Mahar side we have apparently decent looking chap Mr Ghous Bux often dressed in western clothes, served as speaker for Sindh Assembly as well, with well-spoken English accent, with good social contacts in Pak Armed forces and many consulates of foreign countries. Recently Mahar has brought in his son, an army veteran who quit Pak armed forces, on his father's pressure to join Politics and Feudal system of doing things. Most of the areas of their constituency have been turned in to 'NO GO AREAS', and these Feudal lords on both sides fill in their ballot boxes to their utmost gratification with ease and reach provincial and national assemblies in the general elections, each term contesting independently. The do not need any party platforms, parties need them in the end while forming government hence they switch parties quite often to see which one best suits their interests to keep holding on to power. And the fate of the commoners remain the same, tormented, tortured, devoid of basic human rights, joblessness, hopeless, driven  as if donkeys by default to be whipped and commanded to obey only without a question. I remember once a group of educated youth approached Mr Mahar and requested for respectable jobs, he smiled and had this to say," When women of Mahar tribe stopped giving birth to sons, surely your turn will come". How sad. On the contrary I have hopes with his son Rt. Captain Sharyar, who I chatted couple of Eids ago at a dinner hosted in Sultankot, he talked sense, and he spoke of helping people and changing the way we think, and had positive way of looking at issues, but will they let him work!! I doubt it; eventually he will get sucked in the twister of feudalism one day.

Another consequence that claimed hundreds of innocent lives was when a decade and half ago, Brohi Tribe killed then MNA (member National Assembly) in cold blood, Mr Altaf bhayo. He was a thorough gentle man, man of words, and a great social worker, whose doors were always open to everyone at any time of the day. And this ultimately resulted in war between Brohi and Marfani tribes as Marfani are pure Sindhi tribe; and supporting Bhayo in this incident was matter of prestige for them and revenges a tribal duty. Hundreds got killed in war that continued for some years, with police and concerned authorities,and law enforcing agenices doing nothing until they got tired of fighting and killing each other and settled the issue in a Jirga arranged by local Chiefs and Chiefs invited from Baluchistan. Since then, those Union Councils; Jagan and Jahanwah have become "NO GO AREAS", and criminals patrol and move frequently carrying heavy ammo and loot to their will often coming on National Highway 20km in east on 20 Km strip between Shikarpur, Sultankot and Hamayoon towns. The most deadly of these areas being Village Muhb Marfani and Village Roos(Russia) Marfani. UC Jahan wah is named after a Tareen Pushtun settler Jahan Khan from the progeny of Alif Khan Tareen of Zarkhel, whose name is written in golden words and his bravery and handsome figure and loyalty by E.B.Eastwick in his book,' A Glance At Sind Before Napier' or 'Dry Leaves From Young Egypt', and in book.' Sir Charles Napier And Sind', by H.T.Lamberick.

 Jahan Khan eventually sold his agriculture land to Ghora Khel Babars of Sultankot (migrators from Jalalabad Afghanistan) who are pure Sindhi speaking old settlers since past two centuries. Rest of the agriculture land in that area is under illegal occupation of criminals and their caregivers.

The assassination of MNA Altaf Bhayo earned criminals immense power and abiding law is a flaw here. The criminal activities and no action against these people earned his son (pet named Babal) the coronation ceremony to be King of Criminals, and with little shadow support from Durrani of Garhi Yaseen to use him for his election campaign ultimately has earned his brother Abid provincial seat in Assembly, as Babal was disqualified for presenting a fake graduation certificate. Bhayos are now enjoying the company of other honorable ministers and parliamentarians in assemblies. Of all those educated, hardworking, respectable citizens of Shikarpur, who are suffering this never ending agony, the ones most suffering these days are Sindhi speaking pathans of Shikarpur, who by nature have not to this day accepted the hand of any local Sardar(Chief) and rather are often advised by Mahars to do as Romans do , adopt to Feudal way of living or go back to their ancient ancestral land Afghanistan.

Since past few decades, Shikarpur is left at the mercy of criminals' brothers, Bhayo Brothers, Shaikh brothers, Mahar brothers and Jatoi brothers. Interesting enough all of them learnt their basic primary political lessons in Sultankot from Pathans. An Aligarh veteran, Late Agha Ghulam Nabi Pathan who started his political career back in 1936, on call of founder of Pakistan Mr Quaid Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah is still claimed to be like their father figure .But I am sure they were never given the lessons of terrorism, tribal rivalry or robbing people off their basic human rights. Pathans by default, by birth are born brave and proud; they do not have to choose ill means to prove their bravery and be cruel. Khans believe in themselves, and are never impressed by even their fellow Khans. And strange enough all these criminal brothers after gaining power and money by all ill means use title Khan with their names now, which actually is otherwise commonly and historically and culturally used by  Pathans, whether a King, priest, man in uniform or an ordinary labor class pathan.

Tug of War, to be the strongest in Shikarpur, has left the educated civil society from all casts nowhere. They see no future for them here or their children, hence many have migrated selling off their property in Shikarpur and now settling in Nawab Shah, Hyderabad and Karachi. Where 2010 Super Floods in Pakistan is seen as the worst catastrophe in the history since formation of United Nations Organization, which raised highest fund figures ever for Emergency and Rehabilitation activities for Pakistan including Shikarpur in Sindh, it also brought along the golden opportunity, a blessing in disguise for the educated Sindhi youth of this district who got placements working for number of UN agencies and International and Local NGOs. But this was only a brief relief, from the ongoing mutilating process damaging the very roots of the society here. Most of the projects are either complete or abandoned due to not enough funds left, and there is lot to do more, as UN and INGOs are facing the challenges tackling the disasters elsewhere around the globe.

While they youth of this district awaits a savior to pull them out of this lawlessness and bring back the sense of security, our deer law minister left no effort behind to put off the last ray of hope when Mr Sikander Mendhro just the other day at a local seminar arranged by UNESCO had to rudely claim that all UN Agencies and INGOs are agents spying on Pakistan for a hidden agenda. Bravo!!

Even if that farfetched fact is considered fact, the honorable minister sounded so immature, indecent, and rude and shocked almost every one especially the members of the local and international humanitarian community present. What a dare, well done, what a shame in fact.

Sindhi has been shouting for their basic rights over decades, are left at the mercy of terrorists, looted repeatedly by ministers from governments that come and go emotionally black mailed in the name of Nationalists or Bhuttoism, by Police, and pushed almost to minority by mass migrations from Bihar in India, Burma, Afghans, Blochs and their last hope even being snatched by turning UN against it, when some illiterate incompetent minister had to make fool of himself and the nation.

Besides all of that, there are reputable offices of those responsible to keep or help keep law and order, like Police, like Rangers, like offices of  MI(Military Intelligence), IB (Intelligence Bureau ), FIA (Federal Investigating Agency), yet the terrorists are unleashed on helpless people of Shikarpur.