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Cry, beloved city ...

By Sarfaraz Ahmed

The city, which was still reeling from the shock of the deaths of 29 women and children in the worst stampede in its history on Sunday, had to suffer yet another tragedy two days later, one far greater in magnitude and character than the former. A suspected bomb blast killed 57 people. The first tragedy was a result of a serious mishap borne out by mismanagement, ill-planning and a lack of discipline on the part of those organizing a huge gathering of people at the Faizan-e-Madina mosque off University Road. Tuesday’s killings, on the other hand, at the historic Nishtar Park were the result of a sheer act of terrorism.

The scene at Nishtar Park

As I was going down to Nursery off Shahra-e-Faisal on Tuesday evening, I was informed by a colleague that a blast had taken place at the main congregation of Eid Miladun Nabi celebrations hardly 15 to 20 minutes earlier. This news was highly incredulous regardless of the fact that bomb blasts are not novel to Karachiites; they often take place for one reason or the other. One such recent blast rattled the city ahead of US President Bush’s visit a few weeks ago. Nishtar Park, named after Sardar Abdul Rab Nishtar, one of the stalwarts of the Pakistan Movement, had so far been a safe place for congregations and mass gatherings, despite the city’s history of ethnic killings and bomb blasts. This venue has been a hub of activities of religious parties and as well as political parties and groups. Everyone in this city is familiar with this venue and there are few people who have not visited it. This park was the home ground of the noted city cricket club, Mehran.

Just as the Shias hold daily majalis for 10 full days of the month of Muharram, members of the Barelvi sect of the Sunni school of thought organize daily programmes for the first 12 days of Rabiul Awal. These celebrations culminate with speeches on the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) followed by a prayer, which has for the past few years, been led by Shah Turabul Haq Qadri. Maulana Qadri was leading the Maghrib prayers on Tuesday when the blast took place. He survived, but many other religious leaders didn’t. The congregation was being attended by thousands of people who had come to Nishtar Park from across the city and beyond.

An immediate visit to Nishtar Park following the blast was nearly impossible. All roads leading to it were barricaded by law enforcement agencies, who were allowing only official cars and ambulances to move the dead and injured. Shahra-e-Quaideen was closed at the PECHS Society Office. MA Jinnah Road at Guru Mandir was also closed. A large number of people, many of them barefoot, were rushing out of Nishtar Park, which was illuminated but obscured by a blanket of dust kicked up in the pandemonium. This considerably reduced the visibility inside the ground where young men had taken charge of rescue efforts. They were wildly gesturing for people to move out of the way for ambulances at every lane and by-lane of the neighbourhood.

Shocked and confused but thrown into action, these young men hurled abuse at motorists who failed to immediately comply with instructions to clear the way. Equally aghast and dazed were commuters caught in the midst of several dozen ambulances.

The narrow alleys of Soldier Bazaar or the area near the Aga Khan Gymkhana were immediately choked with an abnormal load of traffic. The roads around Karachi Zoo were also chock-a-block. The traffic police, who were fearing a possible backlash from the throngs of people who had just witnessed the blast and its effects, were unable to regulate traffic. Unsurprisingly, a traffic jam throttled Aga Khan III Road connecting the zoo to MA Jinnah Road. A similar mess entangled other thoroughfares around Nishtar Park as a sizeable section of MA Jinnah Road was already closed for traffic.

The chaos at Civil Hospital

These traffic jams became a death trap for the injured who were trying to get to the nearest hospital, CHK. The streets leading to the Civil were fully lit up in celebration of the birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). But despite the fairy lights, a wave of gloom pervaded the neighbourhood: Shoe Market, Baba-e-Urdu Road, Eidgah, Ramsawami, Ranchore Lines. Sirens screamed as the injured and the dead were brought in. The narrow alley at the entrance to CHK’s emergency was so crowded that all one could see were ambulances, stretchers and bloodied bodies. It was so crowded that even the deputy medical superintendent of the hospital, who lives at the corner of the street, would have found it extremely difficult to reach his own casualty as the crowds of people were swelling by the minute.

The doctors, nurses and paramedics and other hospital staff were finding it extremely difficult to focus on their job as desperate, hysterical people ran through the hospital searching for their loved ones. To make matters worse, it was nearly impossible to gauge the number of casualties. Even the police force posted at the corner of the casualty’s lane were unwilling to divulge any details.

Mayhem at JPMC

Roads leading to Jinnah hospital had less traffic as the TV channels had immediately aired the news of the tragedy. One such channel deputed its staff at JPMC. But the footage from Nishtar Park soon turned into the picture at JPMC. The Eid Milad revelry had evaporated at JPMC, also decked out in jewel-like fairy lights. People swarmed the hospital’s entrance and it took considerable effort to transport the injured and dead in. Activists also helped stop the entry of unwanted spectators to the operation rooms where as many as 100 medical staff members struggled to cope with the massive workload. The scenes at JMPC were equally heart-rending. A large number of those who had been to the congregation flocked to the hospital in search of their loved ones on the trucks that they hired for the procession.

The media gathered outside the JPMC casualty in great numbers. It was learnt that Haji Hanif Blue, Hafiz Taqi and Maulana Mukhtar were among the dead while other religious leaders such as Maulana Iftikhar Bhatti and Abbas Qadri were struggling for their lives at Liaquat National. The death toll reported then from the four city hospitals was 40. It was learnt a little later that the Sunni Tehrik’s top leadership had succumbed to injuries at Liaquat National. The emergency ward of that hospital was reportedly ransacked by agitated youth. Soon reports started coming in of violence on MA Jinnah Road and other city areas and even from Hyderabad which has a large Ahle-Sunnat Jamaat following. But these acts of violence proved scattered and shortlived thanks to appeals from leaders for their cadre to remain calm and desist from damaging public and private property. Most of Karachi spent a sleepless night wondering about the fallout the next day. Concerns were heightened by reports that the Sindh government had announced a three-day closure of educational institutions and the army was being called out in aid of the civil administration.

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