The Supreme Court of Pakistan on January 12 restored the powers of the speaker and deputy speaker of the Sindh provincial assembly.
The federal government of Nawaz Sharif had dismissed the Sindh provincial government, ruled by Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (PML), on October 30 and imposed governor rule. Sharif claims it was necessary to dismiss the government in order to deal with rising ethnic violence in Karachi.
PML was in a coalition government in Sindh with the United National Movement (MQM). The MQM represents the Urdu-speaking people (Mahajir), who migrated to Pakistan from India after independence in 1947. Most decided to live in Karachi.
Sharif dismissed the government when the PML developed differences with the MQM and the MQM began looking to form a government with the help of the opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP).
On November 10, the federal government suspended the powers of speaker and deputy speaker of the provincial assembly after they tried to convene the assembly to discuss a no-confidence motion against suspended Sindh chief minister, Liaqat Jatoi.
Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, has been facing its worst social and political crisis in 15 years. It is the only major port city of Pakistan. Around 40% of Pakistani industry is established in Karachi.
Sindhi and Mahajir lived peacefully together until 1983, when military dictator Zia ul-Haq and Mahajir's leader Altaf Hussain joined forces against the movement for democracy. The banned political parties at that time formed the Movement for Restoring Democracy (MRD).
MRD was very active in Sindh because it was the stronghold of major opposition party PPP. Zia used the army and police to crush the movement and supported Hussain to create differences between Mahajir and Sindhi. Hussain formed the Mahajir Qumi Movement, which has recently changed its name to Muttahida Qumi Movement or United National Movement. The MQM became the main Mahajir political force in Pakistan.
MQM formed a terrorist wing and deadly clashes started between Mahajirs and other ethnic communities in Karachi. Zia took a soft line toward the MQM to divide and rule Sindh.
After Zia's mysterious death in a plane crash in 1988, civilian governments took power. In 1992, Hussain went into self-exile in London when the army launched a crackdown in Karachi. Since than he has been leading the MQM from London.
In the early 1990s, there was a split in the MQM and both fractions have launched deadly attacks on each other. In 1998, more than 600 people have lost their lives in ethnic clashes, terrorist attacks and fights between MQM activists and police.
After introducing governor rule, Sharif's government formed special military courts, supposedly for speedy trials to deal with the terrorist activities in Karachi. The courts make judgments in one or two weeks and the government has already carried out two executions from its decisions.
On January 4, Sharif escaped an attempt on his life. After the attack, the interior minister announced that the federal government had decided to establish military courts in all four of the country's provinces.
Farooq Tariq, general secretary of socialist Labour Party of Pakistan (LPP), said the Pakistan government was exploiting the incident as an excuse to crush the workers' movements against sackings and privatisation.
Tariq predicted that the military courts would be directed against the workers and said that the LPP would campaign to unite workers to fight against this attack on their rights.