KARACHI:Where is government’s writ?

http://nation.com.pk
Rocket and bomb attacks, target killing and indiscriminate series of firing have become a norm in Karachi and indicate that there is no writ of the government. On Sunday alone, 25 people were gunned down for no fault of theirs. The number of casualties and the kind of most sophisticated weapons being used by warring factions raise the most vital question: who is behind this blood-shedding? Despite the fact that those involved in this painful battle are local, it is clear that there are foreign elements that are providing funding and supplying arms and ammunition. As long as weapons in such a large quantity would remain in unsafe hands, there is no possibility of peace returning to the City of Lights. Should one believe that whatever is happening in Karachi is the end result of a political conspiracy to convert the beautiful metropolis of Sindh into a graveyard? It must be recalled that in 1980s, Nooriabad Industrial Zone was the hub of production activity but due to extortion mafia, industrialists abandoned their units and migrated to Gadoon Amazai and later shifted to Punjab. Now the residents of Karachi have started shifting to other parts of the country since they are convinced that city is not worth living.
The most unacceptable situation is that no one is ready to accept responsibility as far as federal and provincial governments are concerned. Calling meetings, appointing commissions and issuing statements have never resolved an issue of this proportion. Therefore, President Zardari’s four-man committee or calling a meeting in Islamabad would not lead to any solution. One possible solution could be to hand over Karachi to the army for a combing operation to de-weaponise its population and eliminate no-go areas. If two of the three main stakeholders believe this would help, why is this not being done by taking the third partner into confidence that the proposed operation would not be any group specific? What needs to be feared is the chances of Karachi lawlessness spreading to other cities of the country. Is anybody bothered about it? Apparently none!