To,

Editor.
The Dawn, Karachi.

Sir,

Through the columns of your esteemed paper I wish to draw the attention of the authorities and
the public to theviolence and unlawfulness in specially the Karachi city.

Karachi, the economic hub of the country, has seen worsening law and order situation, especially
at the start of this year. Already the city has seen in recent years enough tragedy to warrant the
ceaseless sound of mourning. Not a day goes by without a targeted killing taking place and in the
first 16 days of January as many as 90 citizens, including a TV reporter, lost their lives in
violence perpetrated by those who allegedly are members of mafia protected by political parties.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik who dashed to the city pointed towards a third force responsible
for the target killings to destabilize the city. The Minister for obvious reasons did not name the
third force yet it is no secret that it is the neighboring India which is systematically destabilizing
Pakistan through acts of terrorism, not only in Karachi but in FATA and Balochistan as well.
Calls have been made for peace in Karachi. Calls have also been made to call out the army and
start an operation there but what is most urgently needed is to find out a political settlement to
bring lasting peace to our largest city. If it is a war between various ethnic groups, then it must
be realized that no political party or ethnicity can win this battle, even if a particular party or
community is temporarily cowed down, the problem will not end. The Mohajirs, Pakhtuns,
Sindhis and Baloch cannot wish each other away. Analysts believe that the only solution is to
include a political settlement, besides a serious overhaul of governance mechanism. The police
force has to be cleansed of politically motivated recruitments. Unless the scourge of ethnic or
sectional loyalties is wiped, the state structure will remain nonviable.
There are certain motives behind repeated occurrence of targeted killings, which need to be
thoroughly examined and remedial measures taken to ensure lasting peace. This would only be
possible if all the stakeholders extend a helping hand to the government and law enforcement
agencies. The political parties which wield influence in Karachi need to accept that they must do
everything possible to achieve this. Mere commitments made at talks can achieve little. The
pledges need to be backed up by genuine commitment to stop the reign of death. Karachi must be
saved by forging a solution to its multi-faceted problems. This can happen only if the political
forces unite in a quest to remove the guns from the hands of their activists.

Xyz

karachi