(Column by Zafar Sahito, chief organizer and founder of Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement)
The small island of Mai Kolachi has traveled from 1729 to the present day, becoming the world’s second largest city in 2020, and a major industrial and financial center. With The largest port and airport, a never-ending array of buildings and lights on the deep Indus coast!
Karachi has passed through several passages, this small village of Sindhi traders mostly (Hindus) and fishermen, which was under the rule of Jokhia Jam, fell in hands of Khan Kalat, in 1795, it was recovered by Mir Talpurs. On February 3, 1839, when East India Company ships landed on the shores of Karachi, they attacked and destroyed the Mud fort of Karachi.
After the Battle of Mayani in 1942-43, Major General Charles took complete control of Sindh and Karachi was made the capital of Sindh. Karachi Port was established in 1854. The port of Karachi was developed in 1899 as the largest port in the South Asia. Seeing such progress, within few years, Parsis, Christians, Jews, Marathi merchants and artisans settled in Karachi.
When the British left the region in 1947, Karachi was the only political place and economical hub to work, at that time, the population of Karachi was about four and a half million, while the immigrants flooded from India, which continued till 1960, that process changed demographics of Karachi. This engineered settlement was done intentionally by Punjab to play with the demography of Sindh specially Karachi. Karachi was the first capital of Pakistan.
However, with the help of One Unit, the capital of Pakistan was shifted to Punjab in 1958 and all foreign embassies also migrated to Punjab. Most of the institutions and industrial units of Sindh were also taken to Punjab but the enemies of Sindh could not stop the development of the heart of Sindh.
Punjab has mistreated and conspired about Karachi since day one, in 40’s till 60’s By bringing immigrants, applying one unit. Later, federal forces created riots between 1980 and 1990 and the army and Rangers were deployed in Karachi and it was turned into a stronghold of military and extremist groups. From the time of Zulfiqar Bhutto to the time of Pervez Musharraf, large-scale resettlement in Karachi and the conspiracy to convert Sindhis into minorities continued. Whether it was quota issues or development work or Karachi institutions, all parties together have destroyed Karachi. They wanted a federal unit, so the army played a role to worsen the situation in Karachi so they could justify the separation of Karachi from Sindh.
In 2020, the population of Karachi is estimated to be around 16 million, but actual could be estimated at around 20 million, Because the real owners (Sindhi’s) of Karachi’s rural settlements and island inhabitants often do not reach for census. The migration of real Sindhi Hindus from Karachi is continuously increasing till now, The PPP, however, is also involve in turning Sindhis into a minority in Karachi. They are always ahead in the cycle of robbery in the destruction of Karachi. Although the PPP has been dominant in Sindh for some time, Asif Ali Zardari with Malik Riaz when plans like Bahria Town were made for foreigners, when the people of Sindhi old villages were also forced to leave Karachi. The bureaucrats of Sindh mostly Punjabi retired military personnel were also involved in the process of settling outsiders in Sindh specially Karachi.
The immigrants they considered Karachi as a separate entity from Sindh and negotiate with the countries of the world for occupation. Sometimes a refugee province or sometimes a native of Jinnahpur province! After all, it was the Pakistani army they called ‘half part yours half part ours’. Never considered the other Sindh as Motherland of historical secular Sindhi nation , they always attacked on the strong unity of Sindh. Now Mr Altaf Hussain of MQM has finally realized that ideology of Sain GM Syed was true and has adopted the slogan of Sindhu Desh, but the coming months or years will be important in this matter that where this story will goes? While the MQM-Pakistan were measuring their clothes, they seem to have misunderstood that if the federal government came to power they would lose everything.
Here are some facts about highly desirable investment in Karachi:
In 2006, when Amar started building a new city on Karachi’s Bandal Bhandar Island and Bodo Island, but political conditions in Karachi deteriorated, they abandoned the project. It was a 12,000 acre project worth 43billion.
The same project was started by Malik Riaz and Thomas Kramer in 2013 with 20 billion, but due to the chaotic situation in Karachi, the project could not go ahead, which had to settle between five million people.
However, now Imran Khan has visited Karachi and then China, he has announced that China Defense Innovation is reinvesting on the island with the city. This will include the construction of a new town on Zulfiqarabad , twin islands and the 1,2000 acres from Jhampir to the coastal region .
China’s CPEC, first announced in 2013, was 46 billion, the second announced amount was 62 billion in 2017, with the latest figures now reaching to multi billion project .
Some important projects by China in Sindh, mostly in Karachi:
1. Thar-1 project
2. Thar-2 project and coal mine
3. Thar Engro Coal Project
4. Matiari. Lahore transmission line
5. LPG pipeline from Gwadar to Nawabshah
6. Port Qasim Project Electric Line from Karachi to Punjab
7. Commerce Agreement 2018 with Hyderabad Chamber and China
8. 5 wind-powered projects. General Chat Lounge
9. Nine Million Tons of Fertilizer Products 05 – Production Unit in Sindh
10. 2 lakh acres of agricultural land for livestock and farming
11. Railway projects and highway projects
12. Karachi. 4 canal project 14 billion
13. Port Qasim Oil and Gas Storage Facilities
14. Biotechnology Project
15. Artillery Joint Ventures Factory
Despite this, there are many more projects, especially in Karachi, now in the current phase of privatization of the Steel Mill and Airport, while China owns about 50% of the shares on the Karachi Stock Exchange. At present there are forty companies of china in Karachi, they had to invest billions of dollars, buy full authority to ensure their protection, when China can control the gateway of South Asia, by entering the hot water today can access the markets of the Arabian Sea and Central Asia at no cost, Gwadar port was a theory, now China’s original eyes are on Karachi. Colonialism is not only snatching rights of local people but also destroying culture & changing demographics of Sindh, these all conspiracies indicates that Punjab is ready to sell Sindh to China and Sindh will become a permanent colony of CCP.
The latest developments and proposals by oppressors who are keeping their evil eye on “heart of Sindh Karachi”. Which also clearly indicates that they want our land and cities but not people. Let’s have look on vision Karachi 2030 points:
* Karachi Vision has been prepared, preparation of Karachi Master Plan that Karachi will be permanently under the control of the Federation.
* Karachi will be abolished by the Senate seats of FATA.
* The federal government will implement the Governor’s rule in Sindh in the first phase and dismiss the provincial government and replace the police from IG Sindh to SSP and all police station staff in Karachi.
* After which the presidential ordinance will be issued, Karachi will be declared as the federal area and appointed as the Chief Administrator.
* To maintain peace and security in Sindh and Karachi, the army will be prepared to deal with emergency situations by implementing the section months.
* Before the Governor’s rule, Rangers and FC’s additional troops will be sent to Karachi and Sindh. There will be arrests of anti-country nationalists and people’s party leaders and workers who are doing rally strike and spoiling peace.
* Lists of nationalist leaders and active nationalist workers have been prepared. Report by institutions has shown that nationalists can attack non-Sindhi’s on a large scale, so they should be kept strictly.
* The government will implement the federal municipalities in Karachi, by abolishing the districts, twisted town and unions committees.
* Every year the Karachi municipal government will be given billion rupees from the federal poll.
* Education, Health, Police, Land and Utilization, Customs. Tax and Renew, Coastal Coastal Areas, Minerals, KDA, Fisheries, Industrial Areas will be under the control of the Federation. Also water, sewerage, traffic, transport, park and Ground, Market Bazaar Parking, Tourism, Vegetable Market, Rainy Canals, Sold West Management, Building Control Authority, Municipal Government Mayor Karachi will be given under the options and control.
* After Karachi is under the control of the Federal Government, the federal government will have an extra income of billion rupees. The country will be economically stable.
* The current federal quota system will be implemented by abolishing the urban and rural quota system. One lakh employees who got jobs from rural quota in Karachi will be sent back to Sindh.
* After which youth from all over the country including Karachi will get new employment opportunities on federal quota.
* Tehsil Mirpur Sakro, Katy Bandar, Gadani, Hub, will be included in the boundaries of Karachi. The large area of Thana Bola Khan, Thatta Tehsil will also be added to Karachi to Gaju and Nooriabad.
* Two new cities will be settled there in view of the growing population. The port will be established in the country’s largest-ever industrial zone and Mirpur Sakro in Hub, Dhabiji and Nooriabad. Till million people will get employment. Baluchistan government will be given billion instead of adding Hub and Kadani tehsils to Karachi.
* Where the Pakistan housing scheme of lakh plots will be founded in which lakh plots will be laid for Balochistan, two months before companies to convert Gadani beach into international style. Has been contacted.
* The country’s largest international airport will be constructed on Karachi M Nain Motorway while the federal government has already announced to build a barrage near the sea from where Karachi will be given water.
* When the water line will be spread from Kanjhar Lake for the new populations built on the motorway.
* In addition to this, two islands of Karachi will be inhabited with global companies, a modern Hong Kong-style international city, in which the deal of billion dollars from companies is in the final stages.
* More than industrial capitalists of Lahore and Faisalabad, Dabiji will set up new factories in Nooriabad and Hub industrial zones while international multinational companies and other institutions will invest almost billion dollars in industrial zones.
* New universities will be made in Motorway Education City.
Punjabi Establishment conspiracy against Sindh, which is a conspiracy against national Movement of Sindh too. Sindhi Nation have always defeated all such conspiracies and propaganda about the unity of their motherland. Karachi is heart of Sindh, we will not allow anyone to take away Karachi from Us.
Corporations, Invaders, outsiders and refugees must stop all kinds of conspiracies against Sindh immediately and stop suppression of peace loving Sindhi nation they must not push us for resistance to save our home. Karachi is not a piece of cake that anyone will come and eat it, Karachi is guarantee for prosperity of our future generations.
(Disclaimer: Views expressed in the article are of the author)
