With the Supreme Court reserving its judgement at the conclusion of the suo moto hearing on the Karachi conundrum, one can reasonably hope for peace in the troubled city.
Among the most important of the court’s directives is that the police must submit a report to it on a daily basis detailing the progress they have made in controlling the law and order situation. Likewise, the Deputy Inspector General of Police has been specifically ordered to submit affidavits to the court confirming the eradication of extortion.
And while the court stressed the need to depoliticise the police force, it directed the trial courts to dispose of the cases as quickly as possible, hearing them on a daily basis. It is worth pointing out that during the course of proceedings the court also told all the political parties based in Sindh that they would have to wind up their militant wings.
It is hoped that the courts’ orders would be implemented in letter and spirit. It, however, did not come as a surprise that all the major political parties in Karachi told the court that they were not involved in unrest. This only confirms that some of them are lying, given the killing spree that is mainly politically and ethnically motivated.
It is also pertinent that the Rangers should be allowed to exercise special powers till the scourge of target killing and extortion is fully defeated. It is satisfying to note that there has been a steady decline in the incidence of violence since the Supreme Court began its hearing at Karachi.
As the apex court rightly ordered the political parties, they must distance themselves from their militant wings so that firm action by the law enforcement agencies could be initiated against them.
Now that the situation seems to be taking a turn for the better, albeit at a snail’s pace, the concerned government quarters, political parties as well as trial courts and the police must do their best to prevent Karachi from reverting to bloodshed.
FARHAN AHMED
Karachi
