One is at a loss for words to condemn the murder of parents of the Supreme Court Judge, Justice Javed Iqbal, in Lahore late Tuesday night. The deceased couple was in their eighties and living near Cavalry Ground. That this was not a typical burglary case but, seemingly, a pre-planned assassination could be gauged from the fact that the culprits instead of using firearms, suffocated the couple in order not to create any alarm or noise. And most importantly, they did not take any cash or other valuables with them. Indeed such was the mastery with which they did their sordid act that they did not even let the tenants living upstairs have any idea of what was going on in the house. Add to these points the factor of Justice Javed Iqbal maintaining a tough posture on the cases of missing persons especially his latest statement a few days back that 2011 will be the year of the missing persons and the dots start to connect. Precisely for these reasons the police suspect foul play. It would be no doubt premature to point a finger at any particular direction, yet it is obvious that whoever the killers may be, the police are faced with no easy task of catching them. It is encouraging to learn that a police officer with good detective skills has been nominated to find the trace of assassins. It is hoped that the investigating team would leave no stone unturned to unravel this mysterious incident which has greatly increased the sense of insecurity among the general public. The fact that an octogenarian couple living peacefully in their home could be killed in such a ruthless manner only strengthens the impression that no one in this country is safe. Words of sorrow and condemnation have come from across the leadership but will these national figures also make a pledge with their conscience not to take a sigh of relief until the killers are caught? We, as a nation, must ask ourselves the basic question: how long will we take to develop a system of policing that can make life secure. The rampant lawlessness in the country can, to an extent, be ascribed to the proportion of total police force performing guard duties for VIPs. Coupled with factors like corruption and thana culture, the country has been turned into a hunting ground for bandits of every hue. The death of Justice Javeds parents who were the victims of this ugly reality should now push the government to undertake the much-needed reforms in the countrys security system.