Twenty people, including ten women and children, lost their lives recently when gunmen attacked the main market area of Lyari in Karachi. This tragic incident, which is part of an ongoing gang war, has raised questions in every mind. Only days earlier, the government’s own minister admitted  that the city had more weapons than the lawless tribal areas and that some groups in the city were being rewarded with weapons for providing  cover to the NATO supply line.



Despite a week-long siege and the loss of several lives, the security forces  have not been able to remove the  gangsters from Lyari or kill or capture any of the most wanted criminals. The Lyari security operation was started without any planning, and criminal elements in the area are receiving support from different political parties.



Lyari, which is situated in the heart of Karachi, has narrow roads which make it difficult for armored police vehicles to move freely. The cost of the Lyari security operation is high and with the closure of all the main markets in the area, the country has lost millions of rupees in revenue.



Due to the heavy fighting in the area,  people are besieged in their homes and have spent one week without electricity, water and sanitation facilities. Police have lost personnel, several armored vehicles and their reputation as well.



Lyari is a stronghold of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and for the last 40 years, no political party has been able to defeat the PPP candidate. Despite several aid packages announced by the present government, Lyari is still considered the poorest area of Karachi.  Unemployment is very high and due to economic difficulties and the rising price of basic commodities, poor people find it hard to provide the daily necessities of life to their families. Now Lyari is increasingly becoming a place for drug mafia groups some of which are working under government protection and have links to key ministers. Due to unemployment, the young men of Lyari have become the prime target of these mafia groups. 



Khawaja Umer Farooq, Jeddah