Karachi: Need of the hour

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My eyes have dried of tears over Karachi killings and my heart is full of vow. It is my city where I grew up and lived best of my life. Now the city is bleeding, not because of ideological or party differences, but being a hostage to thugs, mafias and, of course, terrorists who want to establish their control over it. Its horrendous plight being a legacy of the dictators, political parties regretfully are being blamed for the rot. The immediate remedy prescribed by quake zealots is to bring peace by inducting army in Karachi.

There is no doubt that rampant killings are on. The victims are voiceless common people. They do not make big headlines; they are merely numbers for the newspapers and TV channels. There is no doubt that law and order is a provincial subject. Sind government needs to do more to improve its law enforcing machinery to inspire sense of security amongst the people.

But the bigger question is does the ongoing situation calls for bringing the army on the streets? And if one sees those who are raising these voices remind one of the past practices that were played in the name of corruption or law and order and ultimately culminated into packing off of the democratic order.

Ever since the advent of democracy there has been a persistent endeavour to destabilise the government. Some lunatics are warning of a bloody revolution knocking at our door. Such jaundiced critics want the government to be removed through the judiciary or a combination of judiciary and armed forces.

In chorus with them are a bunch of journalists, ex-bureaucrats and retired generals, who are always available to serve the cause of autocracy. They forget that it was military-civil and judicial bureaucratic troika that set in the rot following Quaid's death.

With the advent of democratic government a new phenomenon of doomsayers' syndrome has taken birth. It centres round the argument that the present government was corrupt and inefficient. Its proponents have now scattered into various newspapers and TV channels. They keep on orchestrating the dates for the demise of the government. Their prognosis weighs heavily in favour of a judicial-army coup.

They ignore the fact that democracy is a phenomenon which flourishes by practicing it and degenerates with Praetorian interventions. Their myopic view cannot see far enough the damage it would cause to the body politic of the country. They are not ready to learn lessons from the past interventions.

Another bizarre prognosis given by doomsayers is that integrity of Pakistan is in danger. The so-called "danger to country's integrity" issue has become so cheap in the political parlance of the country that every Tom comes up with this warning at the drop of a hat. I have yet to see a country where such nonsense about the integrity of the country is raised over political or law and order issue. India faces these problems on daily basis, but none of their political parties or their journalists ever calls it a "danger to the integrity of India".

One explanation about their lethal attitude is that they feel suffocated in a democratic order. For them a regimented state and closed society are the only panacea for the national ills inherited from dictators. They believe in status quo to maintain the status of the country as a security state. For them freedom of thought and freedom of choice are an anathema.

A society based on liberal principles is bound to push such elements into dustbin of history and promote a progressive and moderate Pakistan which has been the hallmark of the Pakistan Peoples Party.

The Karachi situation needs to be handled deftly as well with an iron hand. No one absolves the provincial government of its responsibility to maintain law and order. But the detractors of the government are suggesting a remedy of bringing calm to the city which is akin to committing suicide. Deployment of army may perhaps bring about temporary calm - a silence of the graveyard - but it will not revive the spirit of the city.

This has been the bitter experience of the past. A repeat of this exercise and ensuing result would not be different.

The need of the hour is an all party conference to debate about Pakistan's mega city which is a mini-Pakistan where people from all over the country live and earn their livelihood. It is the city which reflects the true spirit of Pakistan and deserves love and care by the government and opposition across the board.

No ethnic group should claim monopoly over the city. It is the city of Quaid-e Azam whose ideals we cherish and claim to follow. Therefore, all parties whether in the parliament or outside should unite to seek restoration of order and calm. As a nation we must demonstrate our love and ownership for mini Pakistan.

(The writer is Pakistan's High Commissioner in London)