KARACHI - The Lyari and its adjacent localities of district south were completely under influence of the Lyari gangs in last general elections of 2013, and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leadership had awarded the party tickets to the gangsters nominated by Lyari gangs kingpin Uzair Jan Baloch.

Residents of the Lyari suffered over a decade due to the gang war in the vicinity and lambasted the PPP decision of awarding party tickets to the people associated with Lyari gang.

Lyari an oldest part of the city, located in the downtown of the metropolis had known earlier, for games particularly football, boxing, cycling, gymnastic and its pleasant colourful culture.

The identity of Lyari has changed in last couple of years and became a headline of the newspapers for many years due to the extremely aggressive violent mode, claims thousands of the lives.

In 1970s, notorious criminals associated with narcotics business and smuggling ruled Lyari and numerous criminals such as Shair Muhammad aka Dadal, Kala Nag, Yaqoob aka Charli, Haji Lalu, were brought up in the locality.

Residents of the areas said that the organised gangs were established in early 2000, and Lyari divided in between the two main gangsters including Arshad alias Papu gang led by Commander Ghaffar Zikri and Rehman alias Dakait gang with operational commander Noor Muhammad alias Baba Ladla.

The armed clashes continued in the locality since 2008, between the gangs of Arshad Papu and Rehman Dakait but since the PPP government come to power took the gangsters on board to make Lyari PPP strong hold.

Residents of the area while talking to The Nation revealed that Lyari remains a strong hold area of the PPP since 1970s and the PPP had no need to adopt the gangsters to win 2008 general elections but got seats from Lyari with the support of Rehman Dakait.

PPP came into power while some PPP high ups trying to use gangsters as an army to give tough time to the rival political parties as renamed the gangs as People Amman Committee (PAC).

The same leadership patronised the gangs into mafia but unable to control the gangsters which resulted in gangsters blackmailing the PPP leadership in 2013 general elections and fielded the PPP candidates on the recommendation of Uzair Jan Baloch, a Lyari kingpin kept in the custody of security agencies for last couple of years.

Uzair Baloch an incidental kingpin fielded by Rehman Dakait to cover PAC, openly challenged the PPP leadership in last general elections of 2013, and awarded party tickets to the candidates have had PAC recommendation.

Following the years long dominance of gangsters, the PPP lost the grip in Lyari which resulting PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari submitted his nomination papers from Lyari constituency NA-246, covers the areas including Lee Market, Bheem Pura, Chakiwara, Behar Colony, Agra Taj and adjacent localities.

The parts of the NA-246 were traditionally dominated areas of the PPP since last many decades but nothing has changed in the localities as the growing generation of the constituency witnessed the rule of gangsters in the locality. The NA-246 also covers two provincial assembly seats including PS-107 and PS-108. The PPP awarded party ticket to Javaid Nagori for PS-107 and PS-108 to Abdul Majeed Baloch. Nagoori currently, general secretary Karachi chapter PPP, had elected and got the Katchi Abadi ministry had also got party ticket on the recommendation of Uzair Jan in last general elections.

Majeed Baloch got the party ticket of PS-108 currently serving as UC chairman from Lyari, join the PPP in early 2000, used to connect with oldest mafias in 1990.

Some of the candidates get the PPP tickets from Lyari and adjacent localities were still considered the shadows of Lyari gangs as mostly candidates having names in various JITs and cases.

The second major PPP strong hold constituency NA-248, covers the areas including Maripur, Hawksbay, Musharaf Colony and adjacent localities, PPP awarded ticket to Qadir Patel.

Patel has been nominated in various criminal cases and also considered a part of Lyari gangs while nominated in various JIT reports.

The provincial party tickets for PS-112 have been awarded to Liaquat Askhani while PS-113 ticket has been given to Humayoon Khan.

Interestingly, Qadir Patel and Liaquat Askhani both PPP candidates lost their position in last general elections.

On the other side, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Humayoon Khan and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Salman Mujahid Baloch won the elections from the above said areas.

However, the new delimitations secured the PPP seat because of the areas dominated by the MQM were separated from NA-248 and former MPL-N Humayoon Khan had himself shifted his loyalties and join the PPP.

Interestingly, the key party leader Nabeel Gabool, his son Nadir Shah Gabool wish to got party tickets were disappointed while former PPP MPAs including Sania Mirza and Shahjahan Baloch were also disappointed by the PPP leadership.