There was a time when the urban-rural divide in Sind was characterized by wide literacy gaps, separate government employment quotas and difference in law and order between urban and interior parts of the province. Today lawlessness in urban Sind is far worse than that which exists in interior, with extortion, target killing, kidnapping for ransom and land grabbing mafia gangs enjoying political patronage of major political stakeholders and law enforcement agencies, slave to the immense political clout they enjoy. All this has been done in the name of politics of reconciliation. There is not even one aspect of civic life, which has benefited from this strange politics, where human lives, state and private property, dignity, morality and ethics became victims of the greed of few. Even declared public amenity parks such as Kidney Hill were occupied by land mafia which thrived in Karachi during past decade.
Karachi which was once home to best education institutions of Pakistan is today notorious for rampant organized cheating in exams, with connivance of corrupt police and education regulatory agencies. The University in Karachi has become notorious for awarding honorary doctorate degrees to the most controversial of men, who never got college education. Political offices once sought by those who promised to serve the people, are now monopolized by those who terrorize them. Karachi the city of lights, known for law and order till the mid 80s has become most dangerous city of Asia, because there is absolutely no divide between the lawlessness thanks to the political parties and the thoroughly corrupt bureaucracy and police of this province.
ANEELA CHANDIO,
Sukkur, May 26.