Sectarian killings in Karachi
Karachi has virtually become a hotbed of all sorts of mafia and terrorist activities. Not a day goes by without murder, kidnappings or turf war. In the past few weeks, the trend has gained momentum it once had in the ’90s when scores of dead bodies were found dumped in gunny bags around the city, on a daily basis. Presently, particularly disturbing is the targeted killings of religious scholars. Sectarian terrorism, it seems, is on the rise again.
Over a dozen Sunni organisations, traders and transporters observed a strike yesterday protesting against targeted killings of religious personalities. In a show of solidarity, which is a desperate need of the time, the Shia Ulema Council also backed the strike. Their protest is justified though a strike is not the optimal platform to express it. The city was paralysed with businesses and markets shut down. To their credit, the strike was relatively peaceful.
Equally responsible with the militants, a statement to which many would dispute, are the governments and their law enforcement agencies that have consistently been missing in action. Whereas the tally of victims has been piling up, no tangible action has been taken neither by the provincial nor the federal government to stop this madness. If the worsening law and order situation gets worse any more, it would be a perfect recipe for a complete breakdown of the system, thus inviting anarchy.
Failing in fulfilling their constitutionally fundamental responsibilities, both the provincial and federal governments have conveniently looked the other way, mainly out of political compulsions, while hundreds of innocent people have been waylaid by terrorists. The roots of the problem lie with the politicians themselves more than anyone else. As noted by the SC, and agreed by the Sindh provincial government, the terrorists do have support from political parties. But no such mention has been made in the report submitted to the court, thus giving a clean chit to the political parties that are involved in heinous crimes for some petty political gains.
The SC has though taken exception to the issue and said that it would issue orders ‘according to the constitution’, if the government is not willing to do it. Both governments’ apathy has put the city on fire, it would be much better if they paid attention to the problem and saved the city before it is ashes, as one SC judge has put it.
