Karachi is once again bathed in blood. It would rather be better to say that ANP and MQM both are responsible for this state of affairs in Karachi. Both jealously guard their turf and are unwilling to yield even an inch.
MQM manhandles Pakhtun people in their areas and vice versa. What is the guilt of common men who work from dawn to dusk on daily wages and carry some food for their children in the evening?
Once again, the PPP government, despite all its claims, has failed to save Karachi from terrorism. The terrorists are openly walking in Karachi and killing innocent men whereas police, rangers and law enforcement agencies are unable to overcome the situation in Karachi.
Unfortunately, the government has deployed law enforcement agencies but what can they do when their hands are tied? Their deployment is useless unless they can take stern action against terrorists.
It is the adoption of violence by political parties that has made Karachi a slaughterhouse. As long as Karachi is in the hands of these people, no peace is possible and everybody is hostage here. No one exhibits any political will to move towards a genuine solution to the conflict.
HAFIZ MUHAMMAD MOMAN
Karachi
(II)
More than a thousand innocent citizens of this country have been killed in Karachi just this year, in what is plain and simple cold blooded murder. It does not make a difference if those committing these murders are political activists, mafia gangs or extremists funded and armed by foreign enemies. The ground reality is that citizens are being mercilessly slaughtered like chicken and the state has failed to protect them and punish the criminals involved.
Ever since Musharraf took over, there has been a resurgence of politics of violence, street crimes, murder, extortion and kidnapping for ransom in Karachi. The unprecedented rise over past four years is because instead of treating these murders as crimes, the political government has been trying to paint it purely as a political issue, which it no longer is since blood continues to being spilled.
All these crimes are taking place because the state and its establishment have refused to enforce the writ of law. All that we have witnessed in Karachi is lack of political will and failed attempts to resolve on the table a matter which involves murder of citizens without punishing criminals.
All this has led to is an encouragement for all sorts of criminals to resort to violence, kill poor innocent people in battle for turf, with an assurance that none will be punished.
This is a failure of the government in protecting lives and properties of its citizens, which is their primary constitutional obligation and as such it has lost all constitutional authority to enjoy perks of elected political power.
If these murderers are getting away because of unwillingness of witnesses to come forward, it is again a failure of the state to protect their identity and security of life by exposing them to the powerful mafia dons which have humbled the state itself. If the law of evidence has not been corrected to ensure secrecy of witnesses, then it is the fault of none other than the government.
TARIQ ALI
Lahore
(III)
Karachi is suffering and Karachiites are facing one of the toughest times in their history. More than 60 people have died in last three days.
Law enforcement agencies are nowhere to be seen. Police, Rangers and personnel of intelligence agencies are not doing what they ought to. It is apparent that inter-party conflict between the three main political parties is consuming innocent lives, as all the efforts for reconciliation are yielding negative results.
Some political analysts are advising the government to start a military operation to seek and destroy the criminal hideouts. However, others are pointing towards political solutions. Both ways, citizens of Karachi are on the suffering end and no one is willing to provide them solace.
A political solution is the only solution to this problem, and all the political stakeholders must move towards reconciliation instead of wasting innocent lives.
ZULFIQAR HAIDER
Islamabad
