It might have been a little late, but on Monday, the National Assembly focused on the killings in Karachi, before proroguing for the monsoon floods in Sindh. The debate was started by Leader of the Opposition Ch Nisar Ali on a point of order, and he tacitly conceded that Parliament had not taken up the matter when it should. He noted that while the Supreme Court had taken suo moto notice of the situation, the relevant parliamentary committee had not even met. It was noticeable that the government, which until recently had MQM representation, and with the MQM, PPP and ANP comprises the total representation of Karachi, did not initiate the debate, and it was left to the Opposition to do so. Ch Nisar said pertinently that the present lull was only temporary. The target killings have stopped, just as they had stopped in the past, but there is a very real fear that they will resume, just as they have done in the past. His call should be seen in this context, and that would also explain why the PML-N had reservations about the role of many political party workers. However, if the elimination of killings has occurred because of the operation by the Rangers, this relief should be welcome, even if it is only temporary. A proper follow-up would be to bring to book those arrested, especially the extortionists and target killers among those picked up. The government should not take this criticism as motivated by a partisan spirit. It should realise that the whole country is worried about its financial centre and industrial and commercial capital, but because people from all over the country live and work there. It is not just that Karachi is very important, but that people all over the country are genuinely concerned about its people that made the National Assembly resound with its latest problem. The government must resolve it at the earliest.