Interior Minister Chuadhry Nisar Ali Khan. PHOTO: FILE
As we all know, the streets of Karachi remain troubled. Death is virtually a daily event and law and order in our largest urban centre has collapsed entirely.
This is a disaster given that Karachi is our commercial hub: the point from which all business activity in the country emanates. It is, as such, vital that we regain control over it and contain the chaos which has so badly disrupted life, creating a constant sense of uncertainty.
In this regard, the visit by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to the Sindh capital and his call for both the provincial and federal governments to do more to calm the fires in the city is welcome. Perhaps Chaudhry Nisar’s initiative can act as an impetus for Syed Qaim Ali Shah and his team to do more. So far, despite the many promises made, the Sindh government has failed completely in doing anything to remedy the situation or work effectively towards this end. The deployment of more police and Rangers has served limited purpose, if any at all, while the three cases in which Rangers personnel shot innocent people to death can do little to instil confidence in their abilities amongst people.
Given the situation in Karachi, Chaudhry Nisar Ali is quite right when he says we need to move away from traditional thinking when it comes to tackling Karachi. Clearly, radical solutions are needed. But they need to be carefully thought out and planned. All stakeholders, including the governments in the province and at the centre, need to work together to come up with a means to bring Karachi under control, for the sake of its people and the country as a whole.
It is good to see the interior minister demonstrate a definite desire to do something for this purpose. We must hope and pray he succeeds in this. But this can be possible only if true teamwork is demonstrated, cutting across party lines and other differences so that new hope can be introduced to Karachi and the rule of law which has collapsed within it restored one step at a time.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2013.
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COMMENTS (8)
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@Aysha M: But the parliamentarians legislate! Mayor is just an implementer… But my question is, how many of these policy makers and mayors have been made accountable for so many killings! And the most disappointing thing is, ALL THE FACES ARE STILL THE SAME FOR DECADES… couldn’t Karachi’s soil produce a single leader in more than three decades!!! Same old faces and ministers (employees) of political parties… Without accountability, how could one expect progress…?
Why Karachi issue is not solved as the first priority of the government?Why do they hide facts about Karachi?It is a serious issue and should be resolved as soon as possible.
as DG ISI stated in the leaked abbotabad commission report, the ISI knows of miscreants in certain areas of karachi but that political affiliations and the provincial govt do nothing to tackle the menace. its unacceptable, and certainly only a committed political entity with the help of law enforcement and army can take this situation by the horns. the PML-N has zero leverage in sindh and karachi. they will not be able to do much without the help of the provincial govt and the army for sure.
@Aysha M: I am a true karachiite although i do not live in karachi anymore , but karachi remains in my heart , you have said which i just dream of , like here in london directly elected mayor , If this comes true i will INSHALLAH travel to my homeland and cast my vote . All mega cities have delivered thru this mode and also given able leadership to their countries , two great examples in our muslim neighbour hood , is of Ahmedi Nijat , mayor of Tehran and Tayyab Ardougan Mayor of Istanbul . i can wish and pray such wisdom is dawn on karachi
@ezanius: What do you mean, parliamentarians do not run ministries which run the province and the city. Karachi needs to function under a directly elected mayor with transport and policing under him. Otherwise violence will continue
I think the policy makers who have been ruling this city for decades and the political parties are answerable. No one but the representatives should be made accountable. What a pathetic situation, not even a single parliamentarian offered resignation over the worst situation, but putting blames on one another. It seems the politicians of Karachi don't work for Pakistan but some other powers, perhaps it's ruled by Mir Jaffers!!!!!
Karachi needs a new setup to be governed peacefully. Staying within the constitution a setup like that of Islamabad would help but instead of a Federal Capital Territory, it can be put up as a Federal Financial Capital with its own Police and a High Court. Its time that the rights must be given where they are due, otherwise the mayhem will continue.
Karachi is the financial hub, all economic activities emanate from the metropolis, but Karachites are dispossessed, deprived and dispensable, and so far it has worked to bite the hand that feeds the country. So far it has worked to treat the place as a colony, but not anymore. The madness require some method now. Those who spend and are buried in Karachi are by far the real stake holders but have been completely disregarded. Their electoral decision, just once has been translated into administrative authority to govern the city, that too replete with limitations and barriers. The interior minister did visit the city, but not much was brought into public domain. Yes, there is a need for radical solutions which can only take place if there is a radical paradigm shift and a genuine political will to find a viable solution. A host of options have been used with marginal or no success. Karachi has been a victim of military operation; extra judicial killings were a regular happening. Then came in the strategy to create splinter political group, that didnt work. There were intermittent incidents of ethnic violence in the city orchestrated. Nothing worked and the people of Karachi continued to repose their confidence in one political entity. The only radical solution will be to completely hand over the city and its administration to the chosen representatives of Karachi. Period. Karachi needs a directly elected mayor like London and New York. If the federal and provincial governments are sincere with the people of Karachi they would realize that it is time that Karachi deserves Karachi specific policy. The mayor should have maximum control of the city with policing and transport under his jurisdiction. All are welcome to come and work in Karachi. But a level of sense of belonging to the city needs to be demonstrated. Karachites have chosen through ballot, there is an urgent need to trust and respect their choice, otherwise all efforts will remain ineffective and inconclusive.