Heaven can wait; on Karachi's war-torn streets, the oppressed look to an Angel of Mercy for help

Article Abstract:

Anarchic Karachi and much of Pakistan rely on Maulana Abdul Sattar Edhi for the sort of social services taken for granted in many other countries. Since 1953 the Ehdi Trust, now the Ehdi Foundation, has offered ambulance service, orphanages, burials, maternity homes, and more. Even the police rely on his ambulances, often driven by Ehdi himself, to retrieve their dead and wounded from firefights. An apolitical man, he espouses liberal views and angers some mullahs who say by accepting unwanted babies he encourages promiscuity.

SOCIAL SERVICES, Private Social Services, Social Assistance, Social aspects, Charitable trusts, Charity

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Living with terror

Article Abstract:

Pakistan's commercial capital Karachi shows few signs of believing govt claims that terrorism in the city is down, or that talks with the Muhajir Qaumi Movement will lead to improvement. The death toll is down from the mid-year monthly totals of 250 to 149 in Sept 1995, but that may indicate greater selectivity among terrorists said to now target govt employees. Daily life is now a struggle in the city, and those businesses that have not moved up-country are struggling. The govt and the MQM talks have yielded nothing.

Crime

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The hunters hunted: terrorist target Karachi police and their families

Article Abstract:

Karachi's police force has struggled to contain the terrorism that is tearing the city apart, and now finds itself the target of the militant killers. Through Sept 1995, 148 of the city's 22,000 police were killed, as were several family members, reportedly in retaliation for police arresting and torturing militants' relatives. The police are also poorly equipped for securing a city of 12 million, while their opponents have the most modern equipment and arms aplenty. The govt is supplying more men and funds, though.

Law enforcement officers

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