What happened to the great Karachi Operation which was launched amidst promises to rid the mega city of the many ills that have plagued it for far too long now? Is it still going on? Or has it been officially halted? We can’t really tell, and that tells us everything, doesn’t it? Is there a progress report? If so, where is it and what does it say? How many people have so far been arrested? And how many of those arrests have lead to successful convictions? How many target killers have been nabbed? What do the authorities know about their affiliations? Have the Taliban-dominated areas such as Mangho Pir been cleared? Why not? What action has been taken against seminaries infamous for their role in fanning extremism? What about notorious sectarian parties? Do they remain autonomous and immune to scrutiny? No one is accusing law enforcement agencies of malafide intentions or complaceny here, but the people must know what exactly are the issues preventing them from carrying out their duties to the best of their abilities? Is that where the problem lies, in their capability? Or is there more to it? There’s always more to it. Are the courts doing any better? Is the prosecution giving them a fair chance? Where is the political ownership and will? Is the Sindh government truly putting its weight behind whatever action that is taking place? Does the federal government even remember that the Karachi operation was initiated on the direction of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over a year ago? What happened to the committee comprising of members of civil society that was to be formed to oversee progress? Good ideas are a dime a dozen, it’s policy-making and effective implementation that actually matters. The latter remains hopelessly missing adding to the general ugliness of the larger picture.
Allama Ali Akbar Kumaili, son of Shia scholar Allama Abbas Kumaili, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Azizabad area of Karachi, on September 6, Saturday. On September 10, Maulana Masood Baig, a teacher at Jamia Binoria and son-in-law of Sunni cleric Mufti Naeem, was killed in Hyderi area of Karachi, in similar fashion. These are only two high profile target killings amidst several other incidents of sectarian violence. It is pointless to argue whether this is a tit-for-tat situation, or some third force, as alleged by the Karachi Police Chief and others including members of government, is working towards creating a sectarian strife amongst peaceful communities. The undeniable fact is that target killers riding on bikes are shooting people on streets in broad daylight and they’re constantly getting away with it. What do the authorities plan to do to put an end to this menace? The situation cannot be allowed to deteriorate any further.