If need be, the army should be called in aid of civil power, under Article 245 of the Constitution.
KARACHI: Your editorial of August 4 “Seeking an end to Karachi killings” has given the correct picture of this city and should serve as an eye-opener for the government. The continuously deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi that saw around 40 people killed in two days and 19 vehicles torched speaks for itself. The president could have stepped in earlier instead of waiting for almost a week and the body count to mount to close to 100. The Sindh government took out a peace rally but it was only a cosmetic move and did not amount to achieving much. Similarly, ministers and senior police officials have given verbal assurances several times that peace will be established and that those involved in target killings will be arrested but little has been achieved by way of tangible action.
The situation has become so bad that many people have permanently fled their neighbourhoods to other safer parts of the city. And as this has happened, the government and the law-enforcement agencies under its command seem to have done nothing but watch the city burn.
It can be said with a considerable degree of certainty that the people of Karachi are suffering from a deep sense of fear, insecurity, anxiety, frustration, low morale and sense of hopelessness. The total collapse of the administration is visible and ordinary residents have been left at the mercy of various mafias which in turn are backed by various political groups and vested interests.
One solution that could work, if only the city’s political stakeholders exhibited political will, is a complete deweaponisation of the city. Furthermore, once it is carried out, it will need constant monitoring so that no one group is able to smuggle weapons in later.
Every one with even a little bit of common sense understands that if Karachi gets disturbed, the entire country is affected. Despite this, and surely the government knows this as well, we find those at the helm taking their time in sorting the city’s affairs out. The government needs to show far more urgency than it has so far on this issue.
If need be, the army should be called in aid of civil power, under Article 245 of the Constitution, to restore the writ of the government and sort out the problem once and for all. The two major political rivals in Karachi, the MQM and the ANP, have also welcomed this suggestion and the government should not miss this golden opportunity.
This is the only way that the mafias that are plaguing the city can be wiped out because the police is too politicised. The leaders of the mafias should be tried in special courts and given exemplary punishment and after that is done the military can be sent back.
Lt.-Col. (r) Mukhtar Ahmed Butt
Published in The Express Tribune, August 5th, 2011.
