THIS is with reference to the Sindh home minister’s press conference on Aug 18. If the honourable minister is ‘quite aware of those hands behind this killing, spree and disturbance’, what the Dickens is he doing about it? How many more innocent lives will have to be lost and how many families made desolate before LEAs under him swing into action? What about the home minister’s promise that they would act without favour or discrimination against criminals?

We are looking forward to seeing criminals who are engaged in such heinous crimes on front pages of our newspapers or television screens to be convinced that Mr Wasan means business.

Otherwise, we will conclude that we are continuing to be fed the same old white lies.

ANWAR ABBAS Karachi

Lyari killings

THIS is apropos of your editorial ‘Lyari violence’ (Aug 19). Karachi has been bleeding for the past so many months due to shortsightedness of the government, lack of applying some long-term, viable and concrete solution to this burning issue.

Bodies have fallen one after the other and the toll reached 40 by the end of the day (Aug 18). The core issue being ill-treated has caused havoc and poor people are losing their lives without any reason. The bullet-riddled bodies found in sacks have sent shock waves. Ordinary people are extremely shocked as to why all this is happening to them. They are appalled that no one comes to their rescue. Gangsters’ ubiquitous presence has sent continuous shivers down to spine of residents. Life has paralysed in the area and doom seems everywhere.

Surprisingly all the stake holders are silent spectators as no one is coming forward to patch up differences, if any, among various ethnic groups.

The already bewildered nation, having no respite from a series of bomb blasts in different parts of the country, is awe struck over tragic unending episode of brutal killings in Karachi.

Our leaders should take solid steps to prevent further burning and killings in Karachi as saving lives of people must be the top most priority of the government, of which it is totally oblivious. The metropolis needs some immediate help for its peace and prosperity.

IFTIKHAR SHAHEEN MIRZA Islamabad

Gang war

THE PPP-led government is responsible for the situation in Karachi. I pass the house of Dr Zulfiqar Mirza twice a day and I see that there are usually six police vans with at least 25 policemen guarding his house.

No doubt all the other Sindh government ministers are also similarly protected. So, if the police department is there solely to protect government functionaries, how can it maintain law and order in the city?

The only solution is to hand Karachi over to the army, at least those parts of it which are disturbed.

SHAKIR LAKHANI Karachi

Extortion slips

IN the month of Ramazan most political parties in Karachi are distributing extortion slips in the name of ‘fitra’ and ‘zakat’. The extortion slips are sent to every shop, house and industry.

One extortion book contains 25 slips, each one is worth Rs75. Little shops get at least one book, and big shops get two to three books while industries have to pay for five to six books forcibly.

Even poor people can't get the benefit of their poverty. Such a way of extortion should stop if a democratic rule is to stay here.

UMER ISLAM Karachi

Plea for governor’s rule

NOT a day passes when at least a dozen or more of innocent lives are lost in Karachi. Almost 32 families have so far been deprived of breadwinners and destroyed in just one day. Could there be anything more catastrophic than this? Just ask widows and children of the affected families. What is more alarming is that such wanton killing is now taking the form of organised gang war which will result in still more deaths.

Whatever politicians of various shades may say, the fact remains that the government of Sindh has badly failed in maintaining law and order in the city and cannot ensure the safety of life and property in Karachi.

It is an open secret now that killers are from land mafia, arms mafia, drug mafia and ‘bhatta’ mafia, each one having the patronage of one or the other political party.

So have the Karachi police been entirely politicised and rendered completely ineffective? On the top of it, both the federal minister of interior and the home minister of Sindh look to be totally non-serious in restoring law and order by making comical statements.

While the one attributes 70 per cent of the killing to wives and friends of victims, the other keeps literally dreaming about the various options that he should adopt.

It is not understood as to why such an incompetent provincial government that has failed in its prime and foremost duty of protecting the life and property of the people is not dismissed and the governor’s rule imposed straightaway. Since it is clearly beyond the police and to some degree Rangers as well, the army must be called in immediately to restore law and order.

As the army would be the last hope, it must not fail as a deterrent. Therefore, it must be given a free hand and full judicial powers of holding summary military courts for speedy trials and expeditious dispensation of justice.

People expect the president to take immediate notice of the situation and impose the governor’s rule in the province. Is the safety of life and property of the people more important or the political considerations of making and breaking the coalition partners and devising the strategy for future elections?

COL (Rtd) RIAZ JAFRI Rawalpindi

Hollow claim

THE spate of violence continues in Karachi with death toll reaching 25, including that of a great social worker, former MNA Waja Karimdad, who became victim of two rival gangs operating in Lyari for many years. This is the highest act of brutality and must be condemned.

The death game going on in Karachi has exposed the hollow claims of the federal and provincial governments that peace shall soon prevail in Karachi, the fact is that the government has once again miserably failed to bring an end to the killing of innocent people of Karachi.

It may be a coincidence but the ground reality is that whenever the government gives a firm assurance to control the killings, the death-toll frequency shows an upward trend.

The solution lies in calling the army for a short period for speedy operation in aid of civil power to get rid of militant groups once and for all to bring back peace to Karachi.

MUKHTAR AHMED BUTT Karachi