It will be difficult for anyone to challenge the statement that Sindh govt has totally failed to govern Karachi and control law and order possibly due to lack of political wisdom and presence of highly politicised, corrupt and incompetent non-local police force. Political pressure from within PPP, coalition partners and nationalist parties is also having negative impact on the performance of the government. Transfer of additional power, resources from federation to provinces after the passage of 18th amendment and Sindh government’s inability to devolve power to elected local government etc has further aggravated the situation.
Law and order has gone out of control of Sindh government and this is happening in a city which is the biggest commercial and industrial hub of the country contributing 70 percent of federal and 90 percent of the provincial revenue. Enough is enough. The national stakes are so high in this city of 20 million people that the country can no longer afford to remain passive to what is happening here.
It has now become a national issue requiring national solution. Time has come to think in terms of giving administrative control of the city to army for a period of at least three years with the following mandate.
 To control law and order situation and eliminate different type of mafias operating in the city to establish writ of the govt.
In a phased program to disband the present police force and raise a new one purely on merit to suit the requirement of a cosmopolitan city drawn from the locals according to the population mix of the city.
Rearrange the constituencies relating to national and provincial assemblies along with local bodies to reflect the true demographic picture of the city as directed by the Supreme Court. To deweaponise Karachi and seal all the incoming routes used for arm smuggling in the city.
To persuade Sindh government to immediately finalise LB legislation and get it passed by the Sindh assembly after developing consensus involving all major parties for holding local bodies elections and installation of District governments.
With the help of federal and provincial government to obtain sanction of a special package for Karachi to finance and ensure completion of bulk water supply scheme already under process and mass transit system including elevated rail and circular railway projects etc.
Karachi’s population is growing at more than twice the rate of the country due to regular influx of the people from other parts of the country.
It must be understood that a package of actions as detailed above keeping in view the problems in totality could only address the Karachi issue and bring peace and harmony. Piecemeal actions like deweaponisation etc as suggested by some parties are no more than a political stunt and should be regarded as such.
ABAD AHMED,
Karachi, April 11.