KARACHI:Speakers at a conference on “Engaging Communities for Peace in Karachi” have underscored the need for joint efforts to ensure sustainable peace in the city; they identified extremism and violence a big threat to the peace of city and agreed that though there is a peace in city for few years now, the increasing extremism, division on the basis of ethnicity and increasing civic problems are still big threats to the peace.
The conference, organized by Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) at a local hotel on Saturday was addressed by experts, provincial government responsibles, community representatives and civil society activists.
The speakers also highlighted the importance of engaging local communities to counter violence and extremism and adopt grassroots approach.
Senior architect and town planner Arif Hasan; Saeed Ghani, Sindh Minister for Local Government; Barrister Murtaza Wahab, Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister for Law and Information; Jameel Yusuf, former head of Citizens-Police Liaison Committee; Ms. Nuzhat Shireen, Chairperson of Sindh Commission on Status of Women; Ms. Sidra Imran, MPA; Dr. Riaz Ahmed Shaikh, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences at Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology and senior labour leader Habibuddin Junaidi were the main speakers at the conference.
The senior town planner Arif Hasan said that there is lack of a political will among the state institutions in Karachi to solve the civic problems.
“Communities in Karachi have no role in politics and social aspects of the development, however, some ethnic forces had played a role in development in the past,” he remarked adding that there is no shortage of funds for development, but ,he added there is lack of effective implantation of laws and by the state institutions.
Arif Hasan pointed out that some informal vested interests have played a key role in provision of civic facilities like transport, housing, water and other facilities to the citizens, however, he said they had also exploited the masses.
Because of lack of planning, these informal forces have entered into infrastructure development, by creating Katchi Abadis for solution of housing problem, construction of bus stops for inter-city and intra-city transport, truck stands for movement of cargo and illegal hydrants for supplying water.
“Our state institutions have miserably failed to provide all these facilities to the public,” he remarked.
Arif Hasan said people still want to live in suburban localities but they have to spend more on transportation, purchasing water and getting other civic and recreation facilities. There is lack of education, health and other facilities in the localities in outskirts of the city.
Saeed Ghani, provincial minister for local government and rural development said the Sindh government is working effortlessly for solution of civic problems, despite various problems. However, he said in many efforts the provincial government was not able to operate independently. For example, he said the Supreme Court had asked the provincial government to remove encroachments especially houses at Karachi Circular Railway within months.
According to him encroachments in the city cannot be removed with months. At least 20 years are required to remove encroachments in Karachi, he added. Saeed Ghani said he does not want to demolish residents of people. Ghani underlined the need to regularlize the settlements in Karachi as was being done in Bani Ghala in Islamabad.
The Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister for Law and Information Barrister Murtaza Wahab said the provincial government, in consultation with the civil society have passed many laws like the laws pertaining to establishment of the Sindh Human Rights Commission, the Commission on Status of Women and a recently passed law Sindh Police Order.
The Sindh Assembly has also passed jail reforms law and this law is being implemented in consultation with the civil society.
Under the new police law, Public Safety Committees are being established at provincial as well as district levels. The members of the Commission would also be taken from civil society who would recommend the government. He agreed that street crimes in Karachi are still a major challenge for the government. He asked the civil society to come forward and register their complaints with the police.
Ms. Nuzhat Shireen, Chairperson, Sindh Commission on Status of Women said women suffer a lot when their houses are demolished during the anti-encroachment drive in Karachi. “We have to focus on solution of problems of women.” She pointed out that Commission reaches wherever cases of sexual harassment of women are reported. The Commission would encourage women to come forward for solution of problems, she added.
Jameel Yusuf, former Chief of CPLC said Karachi has witnessed the worst-ever law and order situation. He said when he joined the CPLC in 1989 kidnappings for ransom were rampant in the city. The CPLC with the help of police launched an organized operation against gangs involved in kidnappings and within two years, 40 such gangs were busted and this type of crime was wiped out.
He said to curb terrorism crimes two major Military operations were launched in the city, which have substantially reduced the crime rate. He said due to sectarian killings, many people have left the city, which has also caused draining of capital and investment from the society.
Jameel Yusuf said drugs use is alarmingly high in the society, which should be controlled. . He recommended that police should recruit at least 20 percent of women. He regretted that media has created a rift in the society. He shared the success of the Neighbourhood project, which involved police, communities and area councilors. He said the new Police Order in Sindh is not effective. He asked to restore the 2001 Police Order.
Dr. Riaz Shaikh of SZABIST said that Karachi has witnessed chaos in the past. He said involvement of people in decision making is a must. Ms. Sidra Imran, MPA said that local leaders of her party have demanded the federal government to facilitate the affectees of Karachi Circular Railway.