Karachi is caught up in yet another horrific cycle of violence, one where the city resembles nothing more than a war of all against all. In the past two days alone, some 20 people have been murdered in cold blood. As usual, the two main political parties in Karachi, the MQM and the ANP, are pinning the blame on each other. However, this unchanging rhetoric no longer enjoys credibility. It is the citizens who are dying and the state seems unable and unwilling to do anything about it. On Thursday, a young reporter/journalist, Wali Khan Babar was also gunned down. His crime? Covering the carnage in Karachi. To be on the gunmen’s hit list, ethnicity it seems is no longer the only criterion. The media is also being targeted. Activists of various political parties including the MQM, ANP and even the PPP are being killed. Peaceful citizens are cowering in their homes, afraid to step out for fear of coming into the crosshairs. Karachi has turned into a violent free-for-all once again. Where are the pillars of law enforcement? Where are police officials, the rangers, the Home Minister of Sindh, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and the Interior Minister, Rehman Malik? They remain conspicuous by their absence while Karachi burns. Some eyewitness reports indicate that police and rangers personnel have stood calmly by while these terrorists freely roam the city and kill innocent people. If this is true, the guardians of the law have become accomplices to these crimes. This latest stream of violence in Karachi has clearly underlined the irresponsible attitude of the government. The ANP leadership is asking for the army to intervene as Karachi is fast slipping into complete anarchy and economic ruin. Prime Minister Gilani meanwhile is advising both the ANP and MQM to show “tolerance”. The PM needs to realise that these two parties are way past any sort of restraint; it is time to handle this recurring menace with some firm action. To enforce peace in this volatile city, the government needs to crack down on the men who pull the trigger no matter who they are, ‘political activists’ or ‘for hire’ goons. Only when there is definitive action against them will they return to civilised dialogue. No matter which party these gunmen are loyal to and no matter who they are, they must be tackled. It is only then that the PM can hope for any political reconciliation or consensus between the warring political factions. It is imperative that the state shows that it has the will and capacity to fix this criminal playground. Karachi is the hub of the country’s economic activity and therefore the economic and financial lifeline. For Karachi to suffer such deadly clashes repeatedly sends a very negative message to the international community, which already considers Pakistan a “dangerous ally” in the war on terror. If we are unable to control this ethnicity-based homebred terrorism, how is the world going to accept any capability on our part to tackle the larger terror threat? It is time for the government to wake up and deal with the terrorist culprits, starting with Karachi. *