And again…
Normalcy has returned to Karachi after hours of mayhem that took toll of 10 lives and resulted in the burning of over 50 vehicles. The MQM’s warning that unless the murderers of one of its activists and his brother are arrested within 48 hours, it will take unspecified decisions indicates that peace in Karachi continues to hang by a thread. That two innocent persons were killed inside their house is a highly regrettable incident. Coming as it does in the wake of several killings of the sort including that of the wife and daughter of a Balochistan MPA, Shia clerics and lawyers, and an ANP worker on Sunday, the incident is a reminder that there is still no respite to targeted murders in Karachi. Law and order being the responsibility of the provincial government, the tragic occurrences are a reflection on the performance of the Sindh CM and home minister. Unlike earlier killings, however, the present incident instantly led to widespread rioting in the city.
All the coalition components of the Sindh administration are expected in situations like this to act responsibly. It is their duty to cool the rising tempers to maintain peace in the mega city. The MQM which has the largest representation from Karachi has all the more reason to ensure that the city does not revert to lawlessness. What one had expected from the party was to hand over whatever evidence it possessed to police and work through the administrative machinery to ensure that the case was pursued efficiently. What it did instead was to issue a statement accusing elements in the Karachi Amn Committee and called for mourning all over Sindh. Its legislators walked out from the joint sitting of parliament. While parties sitting in the opposition sometime undertake protests against the government, it is unusual for an ally of the government to resort to tactics of the sort.
While the killing of even a single human being should be condemned, attempts have to be made by all stakeholders in Karachi to avoid creating a situation where more innocent lives are likely to be lost. It is all the more important to do so because criminals of all sorts are waiting in the wings for an opportunity to benefit from the worsening of law and order situation.