Who Were Real-Life Lyari Gangsters? Know How They Acquired The Mother Of Karachi | Decoding Dhurandhar

Lyari aka Mother Of Karachi is historically home to dockworkers, fishermen and Baloch communities. Lyari is one of the city's first settlements, established by Sindhi fishermen and Baloch nomads, giving it a foundational role in Karachi's growth. The area is known for criminal activities, smuggling, extortion and violent gang wars. Lyari is the home to Lyari is one of the city's first settlements, established by Sindhi fishermen and Baloch nomads, giving it a foundational role in Karachi's growth. The recently-released movie Dhurandhar showcases the thirst for Lyari and how gangsters of different groups acquire the town.

Who were Lyari Gangsters?

The term Lyari gangsters refer to the leaders and members of various organised crime syndicates that was operated out of the Lyari Town neighborhood of Karachi, Pakistan. In the movie Dhurandhar, the Lyari gangsters are primarily represented by the character of Rehman Dakait, played by Akshaye Khanna. The film's narrative draws inspiration from the real-life events of Operation Lyari in Karachi, a major anti-gang operation conducted by Pakistani security forces.

Major Lyari Gangsters

Rehman Dakait: Rehman Dakait built the most-powerful criminal empire in the 2000s. He was appointed as the leader of the "Peoples' Aman Committee" and had political connections with the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). Rehman Dakait was brutal as reports suggest that he was allegedly involved in his first stabbing at just 13 years old. Also, at 19, he murdered his own mother, allegedly strangling her and hanging her body from a ceiling fan.

In order to have dominance over people, he spread terror in several ways. According to reports, Rehman's associates played "football" with the severed heads of victims under his command. However, he was killed in a police encounter in 2009.

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To instill maximum fear and assert dominance over rival gangs, his associates reportedly played "football" with the severed heads of victims under his command.

Uzair Baloch: Uzair Baloch was Rehman Dakait's cousin. He was a key figure who took over the gang's leadership after Dakait's death. He sought revenge against a rival gang for his father's murder which led to a war.

Arshad Pappu: Arshad Pappu was a leader of Dakait's rival gang. He was killed by Uzair Baloch's men in 2013 in a particularly gruesome act of vengeance.

What Was Operation Lyari?

Operation Lyari was a large-scale security operations by Pakistani law enforcement and paramilitary forces, primarily the Pakistan Rangers and Sindh Police. It was aimed at dismantling powerful criminal syndicates in the Lyari. Several key individuals involved in criminal activities were apprehended or neutralized during the operation. The operation contributed to a significant reduction in crime in Lyari.

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How did Lyari gangsters acquire Lyari?

As shown in the movie Dhurandhar, Lyari gangsters took control of their neighbourhood by severe poverty and lack of government services. This allowed gangsters to fill the void. At the time, these gangsters partnered with local politicians which created an environment where the gangs, rather than the government, ran the area as their own territory for decades.