KARACHI’S troubles seem unrelenting and the last thing the city needed at this or any other point was yet another turf war. But all indications are that a new round of warfare is brewing in a metropolis that appears to be at the mercy of armed political activists and criminal gangs enjoying the backing of forces that offer sanctuary to people who can do their bidding. Clashes on Friday between supporters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and those of the breakaway Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi faction led by the imprisoned Afaq Ahmed claimed several lives in Karachi’s District East, and the violence subsequently spread to other parts of the city. After years of ethnic and sectarian strife, terrible as they were and continue to be, are we now seeing a return to the unspeakable days of the early 1990s? If so, who is fanning the flames now? Were a band of diehard Haqiqi activists given the green signal, as they were in the ’90s, to assert themselves again? Are some quarters letting unpredictable allies know that they should play by the rules because other options are also on the table? This time round, the situation is multidimensional with more actors in the fray. And is there an element here of embracing the enemy of your enemies as a friend? These are only a sampling of the many questions that need to be answered by the political forces that consider themselves to be ‘stakeholders’ in the way Karachi is run.

All this is happening even as President Asif Ali Zardari is ostensibly engaged in hectic efforts to restore law and order in Karachi. True, that is a task most would struggle to bring to a desirable conclusion. Still, his presence in the city and talks with parties that are at loggerheads with each other seem to be bearing little fruit. After the ceaseless violence of late between Altaf Hussain’s MQM and the Awami National Party, a new ingredient that had become more or less redundant over the last decade or so has suddenly been thrown into the mix. Many will question the timing of this most recent deadly upsurge in violence that bodes only ill for the city.

Anyone who believes that a balance of terror can be struck in Karachi is not paying heed to the reality on the ground. There are too many guns in this city and too many people who have been led to believe since their teenage years that opponents deserve to die. A new front has been opened and it needs to be closed. Urgent remedial action is needed.