The gut-wrenching incident of mob violence in Karachi is a reminder of a horrible reality: street justice is visibly stalking us on the streets of every city of Pakistan. The video footage of the recent lynching of a teenage boy in Bahadurabad, Karachi, shows people mercilessly beating the helpless, chained youth. They kept beating him until he was motionless. The police are taking the case as an ‘act of terror’ as the incident has triggered safety and security fears in the people. The mob lynched the boy for being caught stealing something from a house red-handed. So far, the police have arrested five suspects in the case. The post-mortem revealed the boy died from a head injury caused by a “hard and blunt instrument”, while the body bore multiple torture marks. Contrary to statements from suspects, the family of the deceased boy said the victim was a ‘butcher’ who went to the house to collect his wages, but the residents mistakenly took him as a thief and lynched him with the active involvement of other people. The frequency of incidents of mob justice implies that a hired assassin could well be stalking every one of us. Imagine a scenario when someone just shouts at any of us in public, accusing us of theft, blasphemy or murder. Within no time, the person will be surrounded by a mob, where everyone is willing to vent their anger without ascertaining the facts. Such incidents reflect the level of lawlessness and frustration among the general public. Our justice system, police department, government functionaries and social scientists are responsible for not addressing such alarming phenomena. According to psychiatrists, public anger stems from hunger as the dynamics of society and individual behaviour are shaped on the basis of six basic human needs – food, shelter, clothing, security, health and education. To meet these needs, the role of the state is vital. The timely delivery of justice, equal opportunities to all citizens and upholding of democratic principles help shape a peaceful, vibrant society. Once these needs are met, individuals go further for other higher needs such as social relationships, respect in society and the need to attain the maximum potential of one’s abilities. These higher needs are pre-requisites for peace of mind and tranquillity of heart, an ultimate goal of every human being. If the state does not move to meet people’s basic needs, it is a recipe for disaster. And to ensure justice for the Karachi boy’s family will be a step in that direction. *