Unemployment, police excesses created Lyari gangs

“Rehman advised us to surrender and assured that he would broker a deal for us with the police,” Zikri says. “So we surrendered in 1994. Initially the police treated us gently but as we reached the police station we were shown to have been arrested in an encounter”, he added. However, after spending the next three years behind bars, Zikri and his friends were released. They moved to Hub (Balochistan) where Dakait provided them accommodation in what is known as his White House. But not long afterwards, when Lalu and Rehman fell out with each other, the latter established his own group.

“With the arrest of Lalu, I with my men joined the Arshad Pappu gang as we had been deceived by Rehman,” Zikri told. “Pappu, the son of Lalu, gave me the nom de guerre of Chingari.”

With the arrest of Pappu, Dakait took over the whole of Lyari and made other groups such as Baba alias Ladla, Jabbar alias Jhengu, and Jabbar alias Lungra his allies. “Rehman also offered me friendship but I rejected it after consulting my colleagues,” Zikri said. He acknowledged Dakait’s incredible power as he “commands loyalty of 1,000 men” but hastened to attribute it to the alleged backing of law-enforcement agencies and politicians.

“Now this is a matter of ego. We have lost a number of friends in this war. I have at my disposal some 500 youngsters to fight against our tormentors, since police have begun an operation only in our stronghold, the Kalri area”, Zikri said.