KARACHI was once known as ‘the City of Lights’. With the passage of time it lost everything: its beauty, colours and life. Now people live in constant terror.

What happened to this city? Karachi is very important. It is in the suffocating grip of extortionists, drug mafia and terrorists who have sabotaged peace and tranquillity. Who is at loss, our political parties or common public?

Karachi is still on fire, people can’t keep up with their routine life. They have lost their beloved ones in the tug-of-war of others.

The MQM has stated that the army should be called out to maintain the law and order situation, whereas other political parties have opposed this idea. Calling the army for help displays the failure of our democratic leadership as far as Karachi is concerned.

The government and the opposition should set aside their difference and focus on Karachi’s situation, as the state alone is responsible for the safety and security of its individuals.

SOBIA AMIR
Rawalpindi

Karachi bleeding

KARACHI is bleeding because people in the corridors of power lack the political will to bring an end to violence in the city.

Thousands of people have lost their lives in Karachi during the last five years due to so-called reconciliation politics.

The Pakistan Peoples Party is solely governing the province of Sindh after winning the May 11 elections and seems least concerned about restoring peace to the metropolitan.

It is the responsibility of the provincial government to ensure security of life and property of the people but it seems that the government has failed to fulfil its constitutional obligation.

There is hardly any crime that is not prevalent in Karachi. Extortion, kidnapping for ransom, robberies, thefts, sectarian and ethnic killings, land grabbing, bomb blasts and what not, all sort of crimes are rampant in Karachi today, making it the most dangerous city to live in The entire city has descended into a state of fear and no one can imagine the psychological trauma that citizens go through daily because of the law and order situation.

I find it strange why the ruling elite are sitting idle knowing well that Karachi is the major contributor to the national exchequer and the prevailing state of affairs is resulting in the flight of capital and business from the city, leading to the weakening of the economy.

Solutions and steps to improve the situation of Karachi are highlighted in the media over and over again but no one is willing to fix the problem. The law-enforcement agencies — whether it is the police or Rangers — have turned a blind eye to the state of affairs in Karachi. This is indeed quite appalling and incomprehensible.

I wonder how many more lives it will take for the authorities to launch a full-fledged operation against the perpetrators.

M. ZAFIR ZIA
Karachi