Since violence flared in Karachi on Friday, 41 people have died as a result of targeted killings. The upsurge in violence has been attributed to a turf war between rival political parties in the wake of an announcement that local government elections would be held in Sindh within four months.
Instead of calling for peace and urging their activists to refrain from violence, the leadership of the three main political parties – the MQM, PPP, and ANP – are stoking tensions. During a Sindh Assembly meeting on Tuesday, Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza and Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani lashed out against the MQM and described recent killings as “politically motivated.” The federal government had to intervene to prevent the Sindh coalition from collapsing.
Meanwhile, the information secretary of the ANP, Senator Zahid Khan, threatened to part ways with the government to protest the targeted killings of Pukhtuns in Karachi. He also criticised the government’s failure to consult the ANP on the issue of local government elections.
Security measures have been taken to quell the violence: Section 144 has been imposed and the Rangers have been given special powers to shoot-to-kill for a 30-day period. But no political solutions to the local government tussle are being brainstormed or proposed.
What should political parties do to end Karachi violence? Do various political parties still have control over their workers’ actions?
The following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
The government should slowly move towards secularism, modern education and economic progress. This will ensure everyone rights and happiness.
kkrishna,
You need to inform yourself on the nature of this current issue.
I have to disagree it would be better if we remove all the illegal immigrants . Pakistan is a poor economy I do not know why our authorities want to show everyone that they are a great Islamic nation? The truth is we cannot bear illegal immigrants. Though all those who have entered Karachi after 1954 are illegal immigrants regardless of race/ ethnicity. At least we can remove those who have entered in the late 1960’s and so on (only if we love to have sympathy).
Just think about the advantages:
.Karachi will turn into a more manageable place for everyone including the authorities,
.Better chances to have control over security issues,
.Lesser economic burden on the Govt as illegal immigrants also occupy large number of job places even in public sector,
Yes we can allow them to live but not as permanent citizens of Karachi/Pakistan. This should be only on humanitarian grounds such as giving a temporary work permit, all these people need to re register so that authorities could keep a check and balance.
Are you implyinh that educated and well-paid people cannot be racists, bigotists or criminals?
I agree with Kkrishna for what is karachi today its a fight between have and have nots.
kkrishna: I think you are either not a citizen of Karachi. You have no idea of the ground realities. This is not an issue of the killers being uneducated, poor, backward, or religiously motivated.
I completely agree with what kkrishna is saying. In a long run situation the only motivation to kill or commit such crimes on such a mass impersonal level is poverty, lack of education, or religious dogma, the solution for all of which kkrishna stated. Things are going to get worse before they get better but these are the goals to strive for.
yes, Mr. Krishna is right!
Its one political party against the other. It’s no rocket science. Every one knows it.
Yes i totally agree with Javed,and the solution is to capture the evils doing target killing, not only ones involved in the present violence but also those killing a number of shiyyaz at the day of ashura,those involved in 12th may tragic incident,there is a need to arrest them and build evidences as to which political party they belong to. Then this could solve the problem, and the govt can talk based on evidences to tell who is doing this. And this could be done if Police force is independent.As we can see since the rangers stepped in to enforce law and order,everything is fine now .
Well said Amer. What Krishna is talking about is long term solution (education, eliminating corruption and economy, those act as buffer against any politically motivated violence). Short term solution should be something related to shorting out political differences among concerned party. Hope peace prevails..
Sanjay I agree with you completely, but what people don’t realize is that if we look to short term solutions there will be peace tomorrow but not the day after. I would rather fight through tomorrow and have peace the days that follow…wouldn’t you?
I agree fully with kkrishna’s suggestion
If country is founded on name of religion than how secularism can get in?