Once called the jewel in Pakistan’s crown, the survival of our biggest metropolis is hanging by a thread. The city gets engulfed in filthy sewerage water after a scanty rain spell. Feeble electric lines become a tinderbox every monsoon season. Choked nullahs, unchecked encroachments and prolonged traffic jams do not even start to scratch the surface of what has gone downhill within this beastly, beautiful city. Welcome to Karachi, the “city of lights.” Given the deafening silence of the ruling quarters, the Supreme Court has decided to intervene with the hope of improving the shambolic affairs. Surely, for the umpteenth time. With the off-putting conversion of the public Aladdin park into a commercial property and unauthorised constructions on the rise, the CJP could not be more spot-on in lambasting the provincial government. More troubling was the very public shaming of former president Asif Ali Zardari’s so-called frontman, Younus Memon. Mr Memon has been accused of steering the ship from his cushy residence in Canada. If the said observations hold any ground, what to make of a large number of agencies (federal, provincial and local) that claim to be running the port city? The chief minister’s office would be in a far better position if he cleared the air about this hidden player. After all, nothing stains a good name more than playing second fiddle. Bad optics aside, the crippling state of governance across Sindh cannot be explained in the day. The more the players, the merrier has been the ongoing blame game. Largely aggravated by a heated turf war between the centre and Sindh, the welfare of Karachi continues to pay the price for questionable policies. Take the protests against eviction of those living on either side of Gujjar and Orangi nullahs, for instance. There’s no getting around the devastating blockade of storm-water drains last year. But asking at least 100,000 people to leave the houses they bought with the savings of a lifetime and live under the open sky is outrageous. As simple as that. This blizzard of pink slips bears a striking resemblance to economic apartheid. Shouldn’t multi-billionaire developers and cool, calm and collected authorities be forced to pay the price for skewing priorities instead of these helpless beings? CJ Gulzar Ahmed has been the torchbearer of rattling the administration out of complacency. Last year, it was his crusade against the unlawful installation of billboards in public spaces. May it be the non-revival of Karachi Circular Railway or long-drawn-out power failures, the Supreme Court is always there to remind the government of its due responsibility. But why is every other beadledom still sunk into a profound sleep remains the million-dollar question! The court has initiated the change process with the right questions. Asking about the performance of Pakistan Railways officials, especially in the wake of the recent Ghotki accident was a much-needed move. Now, the response of the minister and secretary-in-charge will tell us if any improvement is underway. Otherwise, the whole exercise is nothing but a futile shouting match. That Karachi is not an orphan needs to be shown once and for all. Working on the basic preamble that every problem has a solution, we need a plan to fix things that may seem beyond repair. CM Murad Ali Shah and Co, Karachi is watching your every move. Ergo, it is the moment to deliver! *