In yet another instalment to the grotesque saga of vigilante justice, two employees of a cellular company lost their lives to a charged mob. Not standing a chance against stone-pelting by an unbelievably large, roaring crowd, the poor men still tried their best to explain that they were only there to “check antenna and signals.” However, when emotions run wild and nefarious rumours about designs to kidnap children take hold, little could the victims say to convince six hundred furious men otherwise. That another group of enraged people lynched a suspected robber in another part of Karachi just a day earlier speaks volumes about a highly disturbing trend where the masses have begun to develop a liking for bloodshed. Where law of the jungle appears ready to push the mandate of law enforcement agencies out of the picture, mere doubt about involvement in criminal activities becomes enough to push a dagger through someone’s heart. A deadly string of mob violence, going as back as the summers, which continues to mock the country’s code in the same area, needs to be seriously considered by Karachi Police Chief. The unwieldy city becoming plagued by an infestation of street crimes was enough of a blot on his credibility and thus, this new resurgence of barbaric acts should not be allowed to take centre stage. May it be ensuring whoever was involved in the murders gets to face the music over their grotesque choices or upping the law-enforcement game, the authorities need to regain the trust of the Pakistanis in themselves and the court for the prompt delivery of inscrutable justice. When a seemingly ordinary man does not sense shame in partaking in a massacre, while being captured on mobile phones, any society–with even a morsel of benevolence–would commit to a national soul-searching exercise. After all, this is not Rome, and we cannot allow bloodthirsty lions to devour humans in the name of the administration of law. *