Right or wrong, the accusations of Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza that the 'second largest political party in Karachi was involved in target killings there, must be taken to its logical conclusion. Whomsoever and whichever party the investigators point a finger at, must be arraigned for the crime in a court of law so as to bring this enervating drama to a befitting denouement. It has gone on for too long and taken too many innocent lives. Justice must be done and as Dr Mirza, speaking at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday, said 'the seeds of hatred that have been sown must be rooted out. One might add that over time the seeds of hatred have sprouted and become a formidable trunk, as a result of the ethnicity-based mutual killings of groups living in the city. Only determined efforts punishment of the guilty and an actively pursued process of creating an understanding that the metropolitan city is for Pakistanis of all ethnic groups and provincial, political and religious affiliations to share can only bear fruit in terms of peace and harmony. Although the Minister, in his usual agitated style, somewhat diluted the charge by adding that every political party active in the city was also responsible for these murders, his focus unmistakably was on MQM. He did not name names, but as he remarked, when they want to kill any Pakhtun, Sindhi, Punjabi or Baloch in Karachi, they go about executing their plan methodically, he left no one in doubt which party he was talking about. And then, in a little more direct reference, he wondered why when Dr Imran Farooq was murdered in London, the buses of Pakhtun owners and drivers were set on fire and many Pakhtuns in the city were killed. Further, the Minister is supposed to have told Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad that the MQM would have to change its ways. Quite expectedly, the MQM Rabita Committee has reacted angrily and decided to take a delegation to the President and Prime Minister to register their protest and know their (Mr Zardari and Mr Gilanis) point of view. The Frankenstein of lawlessness in Karachi has spawned many evils, apart from the self-destructive killing spree. Abductions for ransom and bhatta (extortion) are two glaring examples. Dr Mirza advised the helpless businessmen not to succumb to the pressure of extortionists and promised to set up a Bhatta Cell to put an end to the practice. One can understand the enormity of the task to handle the crisis that is potentially divisive politically as well. However, the authorities must keep in mind that the only productive way of restoring peace in this Pakistans industrial hub is a systematically and methodically pursued process of eliminating criminal gangs, gun culture, land and drug mafia and creating an atmosphere of reconciliation.