Ever since the civil and so called“democratically government” has come in and taken over the country about five years back, there is daily count of 15-20 people being killed in a systematic and most brutal manner. Many innocent citizens have lost their lives and the violence still continues unabated. The latest wave of violence in Karachi would make even the most optimistic amongst us think that the city has been lost amid sea of blood. The current law and order situation of Karachi, which is the revenue engine of Pakistan, is highly distressful and condemnable. Dead bodies are found in gunny bags are usually found abandoned in sewer drains or isolated roads sides, and life in the city has ground to a complete halt. In the last three days over 80 people have been killed just in 72 hours, while hundreds of people were murdered in the month of January. The city is plagued by extortion rackets, mafia-run land-grabs and turf wars waged by armed groups linked to rival political parties. The acts of violence, extortion and kidnapping couldn’t stop in the city, and business community is the most affected community by these criminal activities. Residents of Karachi are forced to live in chaos and mayhem, while those responsible for public safety have scores of armed vehicles escorting their movement across the city.
To blame the violence on criminal gangs, as most politicians have done, would be far too simplistic. The police and the law enforcement agencies have failed miserably for the ruthless slaughter and shedding of human blood continues unabated. The people of Pakistan would like to know who are the ruthless killers? Why are they doing such callous acts? Who are their sponsors? Where do they get fatal weapons and plan such actions? How they are able to escape in the presence of security agencies? Why is the government not heeding towards this situation? While Karachi is burning, why our government and its different parts are sitting calmly? Though “Nero fiddled while Rome burned” is an old adage but in Pakistan, in reality, we can see it today.
Karachi bleeds as the PPP-led Government tries to maintain the balance of power among the major stakeholders. Both federal and the provincial governments have failed to restore peace in Karachi. But very ridiculously Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah has recently claimed that law and order situation in Karachi was under control, however, he complained that police force was not sufficient in accordance with mega population of the city which was a cause of problems for the law enforcing agencies. Certainly, criminal gangs have been involved but it is a well-established fact that in Karachi every powerful gang has an even more powerful political party providing it muscle, weapons and protection. Were this simply a case of gang violence, the law-enforcement authorities would not have speedily melted away.
The “reconciliation politics” has destroyed the peace of Karachi. Street crime and extortion are at climax, targeted killings have become the norm, and protest shutdowns became the order of the day though they didn’t achieve anything beyond delivering another lethal blow to economic activity in a city that needs to feed millions of people each day. People’s hearts are bleeding for all those who lost their lives who had nothing to do with any of this mess created by political parties themselves. In fact every political party has killers and murderers on their payroll but publicly they do not own them.
Last week, Supreme Court bench while hearing the case pertaining to the city’s law and order situation at its Karachi registry observed that the factor of land grabbing was the basic one and this menace had added to deterioration in the law and order situation in Karachi, the court further remarked that people’s lives were not safe in the city, adding that how could transparent elections be made possible while citizens lived in fear. The tax authorities have also suffered huge loss in billions of rupees in revenue due to political unrest and law and order situation in Pakistan’s economic hub, Karachi and the country lost
There is nothing left to unfold any further details to show the culprits who are destabilizing Karachi. Natives claim Karachi will continue to burn till the politicians from ruling party involved with the land mafia, ammunition dealers, drug dealers, smugglers, ransom kidnappers and extortionists are not exposed and executed. Desparate of current situation, demands for a military intervention to restore peace in Karachi have been made from time to time by the residents of Karachi, civil society, local industrialists and business community, and even some of the political parties but they seem to have fallen on deaf ears. However, the answer lies not with armed forces but with the civilians who were elected to keep the city safe.
It is also to be kept in view that if state failing to provide justice to its own citizens is a society on the verge of violence and anarchy. When state institutions cannot provide security of life and property, the common man wrests the initiative from the Government and takes law and order in his own hands. Unfortunately same is the ground reality in Karachi. For the economic and business heartland of Pakistan to be under the grip of anarchy, is indeed very tragic, and the government should act with alacrity if it wishes to restore a modicum of law and order in the city.
Measures should be taken to depoliticize law-enforcement agencies. Political parties should oust criminal gangs from their ranks. Similarly, a campaign should be started to de-weaponize the city. Concrete steps need to be taken to restore peace in the city including indiscriminate action against target killers and extortionists. It is also imperative to arrest the people released on parole and to implement in letter and spirit the Apex Court decision regarding voter lists and delimitation of constituencies in Karachi, as free, fair and transparent elections are the only solution to elect real leadership and ultimately to restore peace in the city.
