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{{EngvarB|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Context|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox operational plan
| name = Operation Clean-up
| partof = [[Sectarian violence in Pakistan]]
| image = [[File:Nawaz Shariff with General Asif Nawaz.jpg|300px]]
| caption =
| scope =
| type =
| location = [[Karachi]], [[Sindh]], [[Pakistan]]
| coordinates = 
| map_size =
| map_caption =
| map_label =
| planned =
| planned_by = [[Intelligence Bureau (Pakistan)|Intelligence Bureau]] and [[Federal Investigation Agency|FIA]]
| objective = Cleansing of the city of "anti-social" elements.
| target = [[Muttahida Qaumi Movement|MQM]]
| date = 19 June 1992 − 16 August 1994<br />({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=06|day1=19|year1=1992|month2=08|day2=16|year2=1994}})
| time =
| time-begin =
| time-end =
| timezone =
| executed_by =
*[[Pakistan Army Rangers|Pakistan Rangers]]
*{{army|PAK}}
*[[Sindh Police]]
| outcome =
| casualties =
| fatalities = 23500 (+1000 government)
| injuries = 29350
}}

'''Operation Clean-up''', also known as '''Operation Blue Fox''', was an armed [[military intelligence]] program led by the [[Sindh Police]] and [[Pakistan Army Rangers|Pakistan Rangers]], with an additional assistance from the [[Pakistan Army]] and its related intelligence agencies. Planned by the [[Federal Investigation Agency|FIA]], [[Intelligence Bureau (Pakistan)|Intelligence Bureau]] and launched 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 – Pakistan|Muttahida Qaumi Movement]] over the controversy regarding the [[Jinnahpur|Jinnahpur plan]]— which supposedly planned on having the city of Karachi break away from Pakistan.

==Program overview==

===Political dynamics in 1980s===
The [[Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan|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 (Pakistani politician)|Altaf Hussain]] who was a student at the [[University of Karachi]] in the 1970s.<ref name="Dawn Newspapers">{{cite news|last=Paracha|first=Nadeem|title=Born to run: The rise and leveling of the APMSO|url=http://dawn.com/2012/08/23/born-to-run-the-rise-and-leveling-of-the-apmso/|access-date=29 May 2013|newspaper=Dawn Newspapers|date=23 August 2012}}</ref> According to the memoirs of General [[Mirza Aslam Beg|Mirza Beg]], the MQM had its support from [[President of Pakistan|President]] General [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq|Zia-ul-Haq]] since its very early foundation in 1984, in a view to sideline the [[Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan|''JeI'']] in [[Karachi]] and [[Pakistan Peoples Party|PPP]] in rural [[Sindh]].<ref name="Dawn Newspapers"/> Such claims had been dismissed by party's convener [[Imran Farooq]].<ref name="Indian Express">{{cite news|last=Press Trust of India|title=Zia had founded MQM, says Beg|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/zia-had-founded-mqm-says-beg/32043/|access-date=29 May 2013|newspaper=Indian Express|date=28 May 2007}}</ref><ref name="Daily Times Pakistan">{{cite news|last=Khalid Hasan|title=Zia formed the MQM: General Beg|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\27\story_27-5-2007_pg7_7|access-date=29 May 2013|newspaper=Daily Times Pakistan|date=27 May 2007}}</ref> MQM took part in [[Local government in Pakistan|local government elections]] and participated well in [[1985 Pakistani general election|1985 general elections]], initially becoming part of [[Pakistan military|military]]–[[Zia regime|technocratic]] government of [[President of Pakistan|President]]General [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq|Zia-ul-Haq]]. After [[Death of Zia-ul-Haq|death]] of President Zia-ul-Haq, MQM contested in [[1988 Pakistani general election|1988 general elections]], acquiring considerable political leverage with 13 seats in [[Pakistan Parliament|parliament]].<ref name="ABC-CLIO">{{cite book|last=Lyon|first=Peter|title=Conflict between India and Pakistan : an encyclopedia|year=2008|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara, Calif.|isbn=1576077128|pages=155–120{{clarify|date=August 2013}}|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vLwOck15eboC&pg=PA115&lpg=PA115&dq=operation+clean+up+PPP&source=bl&ots=5uWW4eY48y&sig=fedHc96s54BvPsAs8V9MxmsdWpY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=gqOlUeK1BabRiwKehoCQCA&ved=0CFUQ6AEwCDgK#v=onepage&q=operation%20clean%20up%20PPP&f=true}}</ref> MQM was part of [[Pakistan Peoples Party|PPP]]-led government of [[Benazir Bhutto]] but its repressive persuasion of [[repatriation]] of [[Stranded Pakistanis|''Biharis'']] from [[Bangladesh]] camps soured the relations between each other.<ref name="ABC-CLIO"/> MQM went on to support the "[[vote of no confidence]]" against Benazir Bhutto which took the incumbency by surprise.<ref name="ABC-CLIO"/> 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 (Urdu-speaking people)|Muhajir]]'' locale in [[Hyderabad, Pakistan|Hyderabad]] city. The ensuing violence led to the events dismissing Benazir Bhutto from the office.<ref name="ABC-CLIO"/>

After coming in power as a result of [[1990 Pakistani general election|1990 general elections]], MQM re demonstrated its political power in Sindh as part of the [[Islamic Democratic Alliance|IDA]] government led by [[Nawaz Sharif]].<ref name="ABC-CLIO"/> During this time, violence arose with the disagreements between [[Muhajir Qaumi Movement (Haqiqi)|one faction]] led by [[Afaq Ahmed]] and [[Altaf Hussain (Pakistani politician)|Altaf Hussain]] of MQM. MQM was later subdued by Nawaz Sharif in 1991 due to a brief clash of ideology.<ref name="ABC-CLIO"/>

===Persuasive studies===
In 1992, the program's studies were concluded under the [[Director-General]] of the [[Intelligence Bureau (Pakistan)|Intelligence Bureau]], [[Brigadier]] (retired) [[Imtiaz Ahmed (brigadier)|Imtiaz Ahmed]] as codename: Operation ''Clean-up'', recommending the protocol. On personal initiatives of Prime Minister [[Nawaz Sharif]], ''Clean-up'' protocol was initiated under Imtiaz Ahmed and the [[Pakistan Army Rangers|Pakistan Rangers]], focusing on taking measures against the [[Dacoity|decoits]] in rural [[Sindh]], not specific political parties.<ref name=ABC-CLIO /> According to the sources, the program's protocol was to last six months, deadline was until June 1992.<ref>Agence France Presse (AFP). 1 June 1992. "Pakistan Army Chief Discusses Sindh Operation." (IRBDC Indexed Media Review [Ottawa] 26 May-1 June 1992, Vol. 3, No. 22, p. 61)</ref>

The program went in cold storage after Sharif was dismissed but again came in effect and revival after the [[1993 Pakistani general election|1993 general elections]] which saw [[Benazir Bhutto]] coming in power and MQM winning the provisional elections decisively.<ref name="ABC-CLIO"/> The proposal was put forward and Benazir Bhutto renamed the program's protocol as "''Blue Fox'' in 1993 and more aggressively persuade with the program.<ref name="Timeline of MQM by Dawn">{{cite web|title=Timeline: A history of MQM|url=http://dawn.com/2013/05/25/timeline-a-history-of-mqm/|publisher=Timeline of MQM by Dawn|access-date=29 May 2013}}</ref> Among the reasons given for the launching of the ''Blue Fox'' were the [[Jinnahpur]] affair and the [[Major Kaleem Case]] in Karachi that occurred in 1993.<ref name="United States Department of Justice">{{cite web|last=U.S. Gov.|title=Profile Series: Pakistan|url=http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/ins/pakistan.pdf|work=United States Government|publisher=United States Department of Justice|access-date=29 May 2013}}</ref> The street fighting with the PPP continued in rural Karachi with the PPP's controversial decision of forming of [[Malir District]] in 1994.<ref name="ABC-CLIO"/>

===Initiation of protocol===
The program's protocol actually took place during the [[Bainazir Bhuttoo Government|Government]] of Prime Minister [[Benazir Bhutto]].<ref name="United States Department of Justice"/><ref name="AMN">{{cite web|url=http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA330011996?open&of=ENG-PAK |title=Pakistan: Human rights crisis in Karachi |date=1 February 1996 |publisher=Amnesty International |access-date=26 July 2006|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104073429/http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA330011996?open&of=ENG-PAK |archive-date=4 November 2006 }}</ref> The diameter and focus of the program was widened to [[Pakistan Armed Forces]] when the 25th Mechanized Division of [[V Corps (Pakistan)|V Corps]] (for ground support) and the [[Inter-Services Intelligence|ISI]] (on intelligence) was invited by Benazir Bhutto. The army's [[search and destroy]] operation led to the discovery of arm caches and torture chambers in elsewhere in Karachi.<ref name="ABC-CLIO"/> The gun and street fighting in Karachi increased the Muhajir Sindh violence.<ref name="ABC-CLIO"/> [[Lieutenant-General]] Naseer Akhtar and [[Major-General]] Safdar Ali Khan, assisting [[Brigadier-General|Brigadier]] [[Imtiaz Ahmed (brigadier)|Imtiaz Ahmed]], directly reported to the government on the course of actions. In December 1993, Defence minister [[Aftab Shaban Mirani|Aftab Mirani]] maintained that the [[Pakistan Army|army]] operation in Sindh "will continue as long as it is needed."<ref name=UNHR>{{cite news|last=Govt. of Canada|title=Pakistan: Information on whether the army is still present in Sindh following "Operation Clean-Up" and on the effect of this operation on the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM)|url=http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?page=topic&tocid=463af2212&toid=469f2eb02&docid=3ae6aab898&skip=0|access-date=29 May 2013|newspaper=UNHR|date=1 March 1994}}</ref> In a press release in January 1994, Interior Minister, [[Major-General]] (retired) [[Naseerullah Babar]], added in that "Operation ''Clean-Up''" was likely to continue until June.<ref>The News [Islamabad, in English]. 13 January 1994. "Army Likely to Stay in Sindh Until June." (FBIS-NES-94-009 13 January 1994, pp. 43–44)</ref>

During its final phases on 19 May 1994, Prime minister [[Benazir Bhutto]] chaired a meeting with [[Chief Minister of Sindh|Chief minister]] of [[Sindh Province|Sindh]] [[Muzaffar Hussain Shah|Muzafar Hussain]], Interior minister [[Naseerullah Babar]], [[Chief of Army Staff (Pakistan)|chief of army staff]] General [[Abdul Waheed Kakar|Waheed Kakar]] and other key civilian and military officials at General Headquarters (GHQ) to decide on the modalities of Operation Clean-up in Sindh; operation to be carried out by the [[Pakistan Army Rangers|Army Rangers]] with full backing by the Army.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pakistanihistory.com/92.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=10 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080629080621/http://www.pakistanihistory.com/92.htm |archive-date=29 June 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Halt and legacy===
Ending in 1994, the period is regarded as the bloodiest period in Karachi's history, with thousands killed or gone missing in the fighting. In May 1995, arm clashes again broke out between the MQM and the [[Sindh Police]] managed by the PPP.<ref name="ABC-CLIO"/> Benazir Bhutto's steps towards the [[counterinsurgency]] did, however, brought some calm in Karachi by the spring of 1996.<ref name="ABC-CLIO"/> Over this issue, [[Murtaza Bhutto]] was notably gunned down in a [[police encounter]] with the Sindh Police. Within seven-week, President [[Farooq Leghari]] dismissed the government of [[Benazir Bhutto]], primarily charging the issue of Murtaza Bhutto and the killings of MQM workers.<ref name="ABC-CLIO"/> MQM again participated well in [[1997 Pakistani general elections|1997 general elections]] and redemonstrated its political leverage in the parliament.<ref name="ABC-CLIO"/> Furthermore, the program came to its final halt in end years of 1996 after the dismissal of Benazir Bhutto's government.<ref name="ABC-CLIO"/>

Although 19 years have passed since the alleged arrest or disappearance of MQM workers, families of the missing people are still hopeful after registering the cases in the [[Supreme Court of Pakistan]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2010-04-23|title=KARACHI: Families of ‘missing’ MQM workers still hopeful|url=https://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/karachi-families-of-missing-mqm-workers-still-hopeful-220|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423193101/https://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/karachi-families-of-missing-mqm-workers-still-hopeful-220|archive-date=2010-04-23|access-date=2021-02-24|website=dawn.com}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Jinnahpur]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.scribd.com/doc/16399946/Rise-of-the-MQM-in-Pakistan-Politics-of-Ethnic-Mobilization Rise of the MQM in Pakistan: Politics of Ethnic Mobilization], Farhat Haq, [[Asian Survey]], Vol. 35, No. 11 (Nov. 1995), pp. 990–1004, [[University of California Press]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130518121049/http://www.scribd.com/doc/16400153/Ethnicity-and-State-Power-in-Pakistan-The-Karachi-Crisis Ethnicity and State Power in Pakistan: The Karachi Crisis], Moonis Ahmar, [[Asian Survey]], Vol. 36, No. 10 (Oct. 1996), pp. 1031–1048, Published by: [[University of California Press]]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=Q9sI_Y2CKAcC&pg=PA35 A History of Pakistan and its Origins], pg 35, Christophe Jaffrelot
*http://tribune.com.pk/story/268323/what-happened-to-the-92-cops-who-disappeared-after-1992/

{{Inter-Services Intelligence}}

[[Category:History of Pakistan]]
[[Category:History of Sindh (1947–present)]]
[[Category:Muhajir history]]
[[Category:Political repression in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Politics of Karachi]]
[[Category:Military operations involving Pakistan]]
[[Category:Operations of the Federal Investigation Agency]]
[[Category:Operations involving Pakistani special forces]]
[[Category:Nawaz Sharif administration]]
[[Category:Inter-Services Intelligence operations]]
[[Category:Government of Benazir Bhutto]]
[[Category:Muttahida Qaumi Movement]]

Operation Clean-up - Revision history

Delinker: Bot: The file File:Nawaz Shariff with General Asif Nawaz.jpg has been removed, as it does not exist.

->Rodw: Disambiguating links to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (link skipped; link changed to Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan; link changed to Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan) using DisamAssist.