Startling disclosures about the volcanic situation in Karachi have been made at the ISIs recent briefing to the Supreme Court during the course of an in-camera session that lasted for several hours. Predictably, the Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, did not disclose the contents, which one can understand because the best national interest must have so dictated. However, expressing his grave concern over the continuing spree of violence in the port city, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry said that all the cases of killing had been disposed of by the police as untraceable. He added: The police were capable of performing their duties, but simply did not want to do so. After this comment, ordinarily the Home Secretary Sindh and Inspector General of Police should have resigned for failing to perform their duties, for which they are paid by the State. But, as expected, they did not do so It was quite alarming to hear Inspector General Police of Sindh Wajid Ali Durrani tell the five-member bench that 30 to 40 percent of the police officers are affiliated with one party or the other; this has created problems in conducting police operations. He said: I will admit I do not have the power to take action against the officers above the rank of DSP, due to procedural requirements and the revival of the Police Act. Such excuses of helplessness should result in the sacking of both the Inspector General and the Chief Minister of Sindh and the imposition of Governor Rule in the province. It is logical to assume that the President would appoint an independent Governor in place of present one, but the pity is that this suggestion is not likely to find favour with him. Take, for example, the decision to call in the army to restore peace in the financial hub of Pakistan. The President summoned the members of the Sindh Cabinet in Islamabad to find a solution to the Karachi problem. Since the police had failed to control the situation, the Rangers were called in. But despite this, voices were being raised for the military to be called in aid of the civil power. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, however, responded in a surprising manner when he said that the maintenance of law and order is a provincial subject. That meant that any decision on restoring normalcy in the port city rests solely with the Chief Minister of Sindh. It is a well known fact that in a case of local disturbances in a city or province not requiring a brigade or full division, any officer of the civil administration starting from a magistrate, to a Deputy Commissioner to a Commissioner may call upon the nearest cantonment to provide suitable assistance to help the civilian authorities out. This request has to be made by the civil authority to the local military commander. In case the violence has spread over a wide area and beyond the control of the civilian authority, then it is the provincial government that has to refer the matter to the federal government. And after the Prime Minister gives his approval, the GHQ is approached to immediately undertake an operation in aid of the civil power. Such an operation may last over a period of a couple of weeks, a month or more according to the nature of the threat. Therefore, in a situation like the one prevailing in Karachi, the Sindh government has to report to Islamabad, that is, the Prime Minister or the Federal Cabinet. Ultimately, the decision has to be made by the countrys Chief Executive. Therefore, the decision to call in the army to control the law and order situation in Karachi depends basically on the assessment of the Sindh Chief Minister. As a final word, it is necessary that the Karachi situation is urgently handled by adopting a national strategy to save the country from the frightening consequences of increasing violence. The writer is President of the Pakistan National Forum. Email: ikramullahkhan1@yahoo.com