Operation Clean-up
| Operation Clean-up | |
|---|---|
| Part of Sectarian violence in Pakistan | |
 |
|
| Location |
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Planned by | Intelligence Bureau |
| Target | MQM interests |
| Date | 19 June 1992 − 16 August 1994 (2 years, 1 month and 4 weeks) |
| Executed by | |
| Casualties | 23500 (+1000 government) killed 29350 injured |
Operation Clean-up (other codename: Operation Blue Fox), was an armed military intelligence program led by the Sindh Police and Pakistan Rangers, with an additional assistance from the Pakistan Army and its related intelligence agencies. Planned by the FIA, Intelligence Bureau and launched under the directives of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1992, the program was more roughly pursued by upcoming Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1993–94, as part of her internal policies.
Its objective was to "cleanse" Karachi city of "anti-social" elements. The program targeted the Muttahida Qaumi Movement over the controversy regarding the Jinnahpur plan— which supposedly planned on having the city of Karachi break away from Pakistan.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (denoted as MQM) is a centre-left and liberal political party which was founded in 1984 by its activist leader, Altaf Hussain who was a student at the University of Karachi in the 1970s. According to the memoirs of General Mirza Beg, the MQM had its support from President General Zia-ul-Haq since its very early foundation in 1984, in a view to sideline the JeI in Karachi and PPP in rural Sindh. Such claims had been dismissed by party's convener Imran Farooq. MQM took part in local government elections and participated well in 1985 general elections, initially becoming part of military–technocratic government of PresidentGeneral Zia-ul-Haq. After death of President Zia-ul-Haq, MQM contested in 1988 general elections, acquiring considerable political leverage with 13 seats in parliament. MQM was part of PPP-led government of Benazir Bhutto but its repressive persuasion of repatriation of Biharis from Bangladesh camps soured the relations between each other. MQM went on to support the "vote of no confidence" against Benazir Bhutto took the incumbency by surprise. As early as 1988–89, the political problems in Karachi began to arise and reached its climax in 1990 when Sindh Police opened fire on Muhajir locale in Hyderabad city. The ensuing violence led to the events dismissing Benazir Bhutto from the office.
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