The city of Karachi has been the site of numerous violent confrontations between rival ethnic groups since 1986. [Henry Kamm, " By the Sea, a City Burns: Squalor and Rage, " in The New York Times, 19 April 1988.] Most of these confrontations have been between the Muhajir and the Pathan (Pushtun) communities. [James Bone, "Is Zia Tearing the Nation Apart," in Christian Science Monitor, 3-9 August 1987.] The Muhajir community harbours grievances against what they perceive to have been the discrimination practised by the Zia regime in which Punjabis and, to a lesser extent, Pathanis received preferential treatment in employment opportunities. [Hamish McDonald, "A New Ethnic Force Flexes Its Muscles," in Far Eastern Economic Review, 1 December 1988, p. 14.] The 1989 u.s. Department of State Country reports on Human Rights Practices in 1988, reports the death of one senior MQM official in 1988 and as many as 200 other deaths relating to violence between the MQM and ethnic Sindhis.

During the November 1988 National elections, the Muhajir Quomi Movement (MQM) won all the seats in greater Karachi. The MQM has since formed a ruling alliance with the Pakistan People's Party. [Hamish McDonald, "Benazir's Big Moment," in Far Eastern Economic Review, 1 December 1988, p. 10.]

The Foreign Broadcast Information Service reports that the first known violent occurrence involving the Muhajir, since Benazir Bhutto took power, was on 24 January 1989. Fighting had broken out between Muhajir and Sindhi students in Sukkur, Sindh province. The violence spread to other parts of the town killing 2 people and injuring 20. [Near-East and South-Asia Daily Report, (Washington, Foreign Broadcast Information Service): 25 January 1989, p. 73.] Ethnic clashes were reported in Karachi on 1 February 1989 during which Muhajirs and Pathans fought street battles. The Muhajirs were returning from the burial of a Muhajir school-boy killed in a clash on 31 January 1989. [ibid. 1 February 1989., p. 43.]

On 10 March 1989 the Chairman of the MQM reported that armed men had entered the house of Altaf Hussain, leader of the MQM. The chairman stated that this appeared to be a plot to create serious law and order problems in the province. [ibid. 14 March 1989., p.74.] The 17th and 18th of March 1989 witnessed more ethnic clashes in Karachi; 26 people were killed. Among the dead were both Muhajirs and Pathans. [ibid. 20 March 1989., pp. 66-67.]

There have been numerous violent attacks on youths, regular civilians and even on police patrols in different parts of Karachi, since the elections in November 1988. One such incident took place on 13 March 1989. [ibid. 13 March 1989., p.70.] However no mention has been made linking these clashes to the MQM, the Muhajirs or any other group. According to the Foreign Broadcast Information Service there have been curfews imposed in various degrees in Sindh and Punjab provinces in 1989.