Data compiled by the Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) reveals that 587 people were killed in Karachi from January to the end of August this year, giving the city the dubious distinction of being among the most violence-prone cities in the world.
Continuing bloodshed with increasing frequency and intensity and the unrest in Karachi has been a cause of alarm for every Pakistani for a long time. To focus attention on the city’s situation, the SPO compiled a factual, day-to-day report on the killings in the city. The report presents not only incidents of violence but also the modus operandi of killings, throwing some light on the complexity of the situation prevailing in the strife-ridden city, which is also the commercial nerve centre of the country.
However, this data does not represent a hundred percent coverage of the violence or killings. All these deaths have resulted from target killings or/and suicide bombings. The number of deaths by suicide bombings during the past eight months was 42, whereas in the month of July alone, the number of the victims of targeted killing was 189. These are extraordinarily appalling figures and unacceptable for any civilised society or government.
According to analyses in the print media of the country, the spate of killings in Karachi falls into several categories: ethnic, sectarian, and terrorist/militants. If the problem is basically or at least partly, political, then it is the prime responsibility of all stakeholders to find a solution to this problem that should be acceptable for all, the SPO said in the report. The victims of violence in Karachi mostly belong to the poorest and most unprivileged sections of society.
The sporadic and frequent shutdown of the city give a very big jolt to the city’s and the country’s economy. Karachi makes a huge contribution to Pakistan’s economy but the law and order situation in the city makes it impossible to sustain progress. The SPO has been committed to sustainable development complimented with human rights. It hopes that the report on violence in Karachi titled, “Trail Of Tragedy”, will serve as a tool of education and soul-searching for all readers and pave the way towards finding ways and means for lasting peace in Karachi.
It is often opined that Karachi is the arena where contending sections of the population are fighting for getting a lion’s share of the lucrative economic benefit that the city with its immense resources offers. But the ruthless struggle can easily result in the annihilation of the bird that lays the proverbial golden egg.
