It is shocking that Karachi is in the grip of ethnic conflict, this once tolerant and secular city has now become intolerant on ethnic grounds. It is an established truth that politicized ethnicity has been detrimental to national unity and socio-economic well-being. It is also important to note that most of these ethnic conflicts were caused by past successive dictators. They used the notorious ‘divide-and-rule’ stratagems to pit ethnicities against each other, thus, keeping the people from rising up against them. Distribution of economic resources was often skewed to favor a particular group, pushing marginalized groups to use their ethnicity to mobilize for equality. These are the seeds of conflict sown by the past dictators. Is there anyone strong and determined to take bold constitutional steps to eliminate the monster of ‘ethnic politics’ in Karachi and sow the seeds of 'humanized politics’, and harmony as propagated by Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and other sages of old?
HASHIM ABRO,
Islamabad, November 1.