The Pakistani Spectator

The recent spate of killings in the city has compelled me to pen down few lines about the aggravated law and order situation of Karachi. It is the responsibility of the government to guarantee the security of life and property of its people but the Government of Sindh has totally failed to fulfill their constitutional obligation. The politics of reconciliation (there is virtually no member in the opposition in the Sindh provincial assembly), has proved to be a total disaster for the residents of Karachi as over 6000 people have lost their lives in political and ethnic killings since 2008. According to media reports people who lost their lives during the four year period due to terrorism Pakistan-wide are far less than the killings of Karachi alone. Turf wars between political parties and rampant extortion has resulted in a flight of capital from Karachi. Karachi is the economic hub of Pakistan contributing over 60% of the revenue to the national exchequer yet no one is willing to put an end to the killings in the city which is actually the jugular vein of our country.

The police force is incompetent, politicized and ill-equipped to tackle the various crimes operative in the city today. It is beyond comprehension as to why the COAS Gen Kayani, DG ISI Lt. Gen Zaheer ul Islam and Corps Commander Karachi Lt. Gen Aijaz Chaudhry are paying no heed to the law and order situation of the city. There is no point of investing a sizeable chunk of the budget on the defense if life and property of citizens are not safeguarded. Even the suo-moto by CJP last year on Karachi killings did not yield the desired results as the perpetrators were neither identified nor brought to justice. If an elected prime minister can be shown the door for not writing a letter, then some heads must roll for the innocent lives lost in Karachi.

It is high time that somebody at the helm of affairs have to call spade a spade and devise a strategy so as to stop the massive bloodshed in the city, whatever the political repercussions may be. I hope and pray that the city once known as the Uroosul Bilaad (Bride of the cities) and Roshnion Ka Shehr (the City of Lights) regain its lost peace and prosperity.(Ameen)