Operation Lyari
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Operation Lyari was a Pakistan Government crackdown against local gangs and other crime syndicates, a critical part of the greater Karachi Operation.
Karachi, Pakistan's largest metropolis, a vibrant hub with over 20 million souls, is a mosaic of ethnic communities. This rich demographic tapestry deeply influences its politics, often igniting sporadic and bloody conflicts throughout its history. Following Pakistan's independence in 1947, a significant wave of Muslim immigrants, known as Muhajirs, arrived from what is now India. These educated, middle-to-upper-class families, many from cultured backgrounds, settled in Karachi, the historical capital of Sindh. They soon dominated much of the city's commerce, a fact viewed with apprehension and resentment by the native Sindhi population and radical Sindhi nationalists. Then, after East Pakistan's secession in 1971, Pakistan welcomed a large number of Biharis, or "Stranded Pakistanis," loyal to the nation. These migrants integrated into the diverse Urdu-speaking Muhajir community. Some Bengalis also chose to remain in Pakistan.
The Pashtuns, originally from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA, and northern Balochistan, now constitute Karachi's second-largest ethnic group, after the Muhajirs. With estimates reaching as high as 7 million, Karachi hosts the world's largest urban Pashtun population, including 50,000 registered Afghan refugees. Pashtuns currently represent approximately 25% of Karachi's population. Karachi's industrial prowess also drew migrants from across Pakistan, including Punjab and Balochistan, alongside Pashtun communities from the frontier regions. Adding to this intricate mix were Iranians, Arabs, Central Asians, and thousands of Afghan refugees, initially displaced by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This influx, particularly from Afghanistan and Pashtun regions, brought with it conservative tribal cultures, further fueling ethnic and sectarian tensions and contributing to the rise of mob culture.
Within Lyari itself, a diverse array of ethnic groups coexists, including Sindhis, Kashmiris, Seraikis, Pakhtuns, Balochis, Memons, Bohras, and Ismailis. This complex ethnic landscape has led to political parties aligning with specific communities. For instance, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, or MQM, was established to champion the political interests of the Muhajir people in urban Sindh, particularly Karachi. Conversely, the Pakistan People's Party, or PPP, found strong support among Sindhis and Balochis, with Lyari notably being a PPP stronghold.
Religious and sectarian differences have also played a role in the district's volatility, with sectarian parties and Sunni-Shia conflicts contributing to violence. Lyari became a haven for many wanted terrorists.
In 2012, Lyari, long a bastion of the Pakistan People's Party, saw a complex entanglement of politics and crime. The PPP allegedly supported a notorious gangster, Abdul-Rehman Baloch, known as Rehman Dakait, to secure the Lyari vote bank by deterring other political parties. In return, Dakait was granted free rein for extortion, drug smuggling, and arms trafficking. This arrangement, conceived by Zulfiqar Mirza and then-President Asif Ali Zardari, saw Rehman Dakait appointed leader of the newly formed Peoples' Aman Committee in 2008, tasked with managing Lyari's affairs and regulating crime. While he initially curbed petty crime and gained local hero status, his unchecked crime spree eventually saw him become the undisputed crime boss. His falling out with the PPP led to him being a wanted man, and he was killed in a police encounter in August 2009.
The Peoples' Aman Committee then fell under the control of his cousin and criminal associate, Uzair Jan Baloch. A staunch opponent of the MQM, Uzair faced pressure from the PPP to disband after several targeted killings. Despite its official dissolution, the organization continued to operate covertly. The government finally banned the Peoples' Aman Committee on October 11, 2011, under the Anti-terrorism Act of 1997, with the Sindh Home Ministry directing law enforcement agencies to monitor its activities.
Uzair Jan Baloch became a significant liability for the PPP. The killing of one of his gang members, Saqib alias Sakhi, in a police encounter on April 1, 2012, and Uzair's own implication, along with colleagues, in the murder of a policeman, intensified the pressure. Rival gangs began targeting his men. Uzair, feeling betrayed, blamed PPP politicians from Lyari, including Malik Mohammad Khan, National Assembly member Nabeel Gabol, and MPA Saleem Hingoro, for the crackdown. On April 26, 2012, Uzair Jan Baloch assassinated Malik Mohammad Khan while he was leading a procession against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's conviction in a contempt case. Following discussions with the President and other PPP members, Interior Minister Rehman Malik authorized an operation to dismantle the Lyari gangs.
The Lyari operation commenced on April 27, 2012. Uzair's residence was raided, but he evaded capture. MPA Sania Baloch condemned the raid, vowing to raise the issue in the assembly. While police and local authorities initially made progress, fierce resistance resulted in high casualties on all sides, leading to a 48-hour suspension on May 4, 2012. The Inspector General of Sindh police, Mushtaq Shah, announced at a press conference that the operation was in its final stages and implicated the Taliban and other criminals in the Lyari clashes, though this information lacked corroboration. The 2012 operations were abruptly halted when Nawaz Sharif intervened, seeking to capitalize on the conflict and win Lyari's votes. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's Sindh leader Raja Saeed met with Uzair Baloch and expressed solidarity with the people of Lyari. The 2012 operations, primarily police-led, only managed to arrest a fraction of the gangsters.
In 2013, operations were conducted under the new Federal Government of Pakistan Muslim League (N) after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited Karachi and formulated a strategy to curb violence. With the provincial government of the PPP on board, the prime minister authorized the Pakistan Rangers to conduct raids and apprehend criminals. The targeted operation began on September 7, 2013, leading to the arrest of over a thousand suspects. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan subsequently declared the first phase of the operation a success.
In 2017, notorious Lyari gang leader Noor Muhammad, alias Baba Ladla, was killed in Lyari during a shootout with the Pakistani Rangers.
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Operation Lyari was a Pakistan Government crackdown against local gangs and other crime syndicates and part of the greater Karachi Operation.
== Background ==
=== Historical Factors ===
Karachi is a cosmopolitan city and biggest city of Pakistan having a population more than 20 million, consisting of many ethnic communities. The city's demographics play an important role in its politics. Ethnic politics have resulted in sporadic violence throughout Karachi's history, often leading to bloody conflicts. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Muslim immigrants from areas constituting modern-day India migrated in large numbers to the newly created Muslim nation of Pakistan and became settled in Karachi, the historical capital of the Sindh province. These migrants had educated, middle-class to upper-class backgrounds and came from cultured families; they came to be known as Muhajir people (Muhajir meaning "immigrant"). They dominated much of Karachi's businesses, something which was feared and resented by many of the province's native Sindhi people and radical Sindhi nationalists. After the breakaway of East Pakistan in 1971 and the formation of Bangladesh, Pakistan accepted a large number of Biharis (known as "Stranded Pakistanis") loyal to the country, trapped in Bangladesh and offered them citizenship. The Bihari migrants assimilated into the diverse Urdu-speaking Muhajir population. Some Bengalis in Pakistan also stayed behind.
The Pashtuns (Pakhtuns or Pathans), originally from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA and northern Balochistan, are now the city's second largest ethnic group in Karachi after Muhajirs. With as high as 7 million by some estimates, the city of Karachi in Pakistan has the largest concentration of urban Pashtun population in the world, including 50,000 registered Afghan refugees in the city. As per current demographic ratio Pashtuns are about 25% of Karachi's population.
Karachi's status as a regional industrial centre attracted migrants from other parts of Pakistan as well, including Punjab, Balochistan and Pashtun migrants from the frontier regions. Added to this were Iranians, Arabs, Central Asians as well as thousands of Afghan refugees who came to Karachi, initially displaced by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan; some of the Afghan and Pashtun migration brought along conservative tribal culture, further intensifying ethnic and sectarian violence and also giving rise to mob culture.
==== Ethnic Differences ====
There are several ethnic groups in Lyari including Sindhis, Kashmiris, Seraikis, Pakhtuns, Balochis, Memons, Bohras Ismailis, etc. The ethnic mix has resulted in political parties being affiliated with specific communities. Examples are;
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was founded for the political interests of the Muhajir people in urban Shidh, particularly Karachi.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) was popular among Sindhis & Balochis and Lyari in particular was (PPP) stronghold.
==== Religious & Sectarian Differences ====
Sectarian parties and Sunni-Shia conflict have also led to violence in this district with many wanted terrorists hiding out in Lyari.
== Operations in 2012 ==
Lyari had long been a stronghold of Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP). The PPP took under its wing a well known gangster named Abdul-Rehman Baloch, alias Rehman Dakait, to keep the Lyari vote bank in check by not allowing other parties access to Lyari. In exchange Rehman Dakait would be allowed a free rein to extort local businesses, smuggle drugs, arms and ammunition. This agreement was the brainchild of Zulfiqar Mirza and then President Asif Ali Zardari who placed Rehman Dakait as the leader of a newly formed Peoples' Aman Committee in 2008 to look after the affairs of Lyari and to regulate crime in his territory. He brought down petty crime and became a local hero. Despite his enhanced reputation he went on his own crime spree unchecked and became the undisputed crime boss in Lyari. He soon fell out with the PPP, by 2009 he was a wanted man and was killed in a police encounter in August 2009.
The Peoples' Aman Committee was then taken over by his first cousin and partner in crime Uzair Jan Baloch. Uzair was an ardent enemy of MQM and after several targeted killings came under pressure from the PPP to disband. Despite being officially defunct, the organization continued to function de facto on the ground. The government finally issued a notification on October 11, 2011 which banned the Peoples' Aman Committee under Clause (11/B) of Anti-terrorism Act 1997. The Sindh Home Ministry, after banning the People's Aman Committee (PAC), finally issued its notification. Additionally, the ministry directed law enforcement agencies to monitor the activities of the committee.
Uzair Jan Baloch had become a serious liability for PPP. A member of his gang, Saqib alias Sakhi, was killed in police encounter on April 1, 2012. Uzair Jan and many of his colleagues were also booked by the police for the murder of a policeman. Rival gangs began to kill his men. Uzair Jan felt betrayed and blamed the current activism against him on the PPP politicians of Lyari such as Malik Mohammad Khan along with National Assembly member from Lyari Nabeel Gabol and MPA Saleem Hingoro. Uzair Jan Baloch on April 26, 2012 assassinated Malik Mohammad Khan while he was leading a procession of party activists against the conviction of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani by the Supreme Court in a contempt case. The Interior Minister Rehman Malik after conferring with the President and other PPP members decided to start an operation to seize and destroy the Lyari gangs.
The Lyari operation commenced on April 27, 2012. Uzair's house was raided, with the criminal eluding capture. MPA Sania Baloch condemned the raid and said that she would raise the issue in the assembly. Early on police and local authorities made progress, however stiff resistance caused high casualties on all sides, resulting in a 48-hour suspension on May 4, 2012. The Inspector General (IG) of Sindh police Mushtaq Shah addressed a press conference at Central Police Office in Karachi stating that the Lyari operation was in its final stages and that the Taliban along with other criminals were involved in Lyari clashes. However, there was no way to corroborate this information. The operations of 2012 were abruptly halted when Nawaz Sharif intervened, to cash in on the conflict between the rivals and win the votes of people of Lyari. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's Sindh leader Raja Saeed met with Uzair Baloch, and also expressed solidarity with the people of Lyari. The 2012 operations were a predominantly a police led operation but only succeeded in arresting a minority of gangsters.
== Operations in 2013 ==
In 2013 operations were conducted under the new Federal Government of Pakistan Muslim League (N) after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited Karachi and devised a strategy to curb violence. With the provincial government of PPP on board, the prime minister gave a go-ahead to Pakistan Rangers to conduct raids and arrest criminals. The targeted operation began on September 7, 2013 and since then more than a thousand suspects have been arrested. The Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan recently declared the first phase of the operation a success.
== Death of Baba Ladla ==
Notorious Lyari gang leader, Noor Muhammad alias Baba Ladla was killed in Lyari during a shootout with the Pakistani Rangers in 2017.
== See also ==
MQM Militancy
MQM insurrection (1994-2016)
Insurgency in Sindh
Operation Clean-up
Pucca Qila Massacre
Dhurandhar, a 2025 film based on this operation
== References ==
== External links ==
Karachi Website.
Imagining Lyari through Akhtar Soomro
[1]Baba Ladla, two others killed in Rangers shootout
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