As news of the trouble in Karachi filters onto media outlets, the great tragedy is not the death of humans but it’s the death of humanity that has added the element of the surreal to the entire situation.

Earlier weeks brought news of targeted killings with the “victims” mostly being affiliated with 3 major political parties, and as part of the local gang war/political rivalry. Most people were ‘okay’ with the news. Let the mobsters kill each other was the word on the street. Imagine Al Pacino taking out Michael Corleone and you’ll get what I mean. But since when did civilians, and that too children, become cannon fodder for them?

One can take a political look at this, but it doesn’t make any sense to off your voter base. Any analysis of the issue would be purely conjecture and would never produce a unified result. Here’s one of them to add to the Diaspora. Political parties at first started taking out “hits” against each other, well known party (read gang) members were the first ones to go. As rivalries and tempers flared, so did the trigger happy fingers and all of a sudden the melting pot that is Karachi went up in flames as the fight turned insane.

Pictures and videos of gunmen running openly in the streets served more than just to shock us. Anyone who saw those images questioned where the government’s writ was, whatever little of it remains. Why isn’t there a full scale crack down to ensure that the violence comes to a halt? Why aren’t the people behind the political parties brought to task over what their hoodlums are doing?  Well here’s an explanation, the government is too busy worrying about having its corruption uncovered to care. Mr Zafar Qureshi bags all the attention of our parliamentarians (most of whom have had their hands in the cookie jar) and they do not have the time or the will to care for the ordinary civilians in Karachi. Of course Rehman Malik flew into Karachi after midnight to “address” the situation, but whoever believes it is anything but a photo-op is deluded. A failing government wants to show it cares, however far from reality that may be.

What of the army and the rangers. Yes the hated duo, until of course the situation gets out of control and they have to be called in to manage affairs. Why aren’t they stepping up? To prove to the masses that the civilian government is useless? To abide by the laws of the state to not go in until requested perhaps, but dear generals, our politicians are worried about the NICL scam, they don’t have time to handle real issues that plague our nation.

All said and done, there a million possibilities to each question and very few answers. What is clear however is the sheer disregard being shown by the gangsters on the streets. Also visible is the unbelievable amount of contempt for the lives of ordinary citizens being shown by those in the corridors of power. Who cares less for the people’s suffering is a question I dare not think about.

Faraz Zafar is exploring Islamic Finance and an avid trekker who often muses about the happenings around him.

The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.