KARACHI BECOMES MUSICLESS by GHUMESA TANVEER…
Violence compounds miseries of the poor in Karachi. The city has started limping back to normality after the killings of 73 people in 4 days of rioting as the brutal trend of gunny bags-stuffed bodies following brief kidnappings and torture came to a halt. Though five more people were killed overnight in armed attacks, but no major incident apparently occured during the day.
Strong tension persisted in the affected parts after the armed assault on police in Korangi. The death toll mounted as Karachi continued to bleed for four days in a row. In a number of cases, innocent bystanders, comprising Mohajirs, Sindhis and Baloch were not just caught in the crossfire but were deliberately targeted by killers of political origins.
Law-enforcement personnel also lost their lives in recent days. There are several stake holders in this mega city that has long been descending into chaos, leading many to doubt the sincerity of the government when it comes to tackling the situation. Personal interests prevail and no one is taken to devastating task, and Karachi continues to witness all manner of conflict be it turf or proxy wars or poltical, ethnic and sectarian killings.
Those who rule Karachi’s streets include the MQM the ANP, PPP-backed Amn committee and the Sunni Tehrik. Those who have played a part in recent spell of violence deserve to be brought to book. But unfortunately, justice is in short supply and officialdom can be expected to proceed as it wishes while the people suffer.
The people of Karachi deserve to know the truth because they have seen to much death and destruction first-hand. There can be no mollycoddling out of fear or favour. There comes a time when facts have to be faced and revealed and that time is now.
We, the public, needs to join hands and move with cooperation in order to restore peace in country that our Quaid e Azam longed for. We can save the Nation from massive destruction and loss of life only if we come together and be patriotic. We can bring life back to Karachi and add some music to it by just showing up the hidden loyality and sincerity for our country-PAKISTAN!