Addressing a workshop arranged by the National Defence University, Corps Commander Karachi Lieutenant-General Naveed Mukhtar meticulously articulated his analysis of the problems faced by people in Karachi. He is on the ball when he says that infrastructure collapse in the Pakistan's mega-commercial city has resulted in shortages of civic facilities and this has resulted in creation of mafias which now provide these essential civic services against a `profit'. Criminal gangs have mushroomed across the city to teeming millions and the state has absolved itself of its constitutional duties. Protection of life and property is a fundamental right of a citizen. Enforcement of laws is the duty of all law enforcement agencies, which had been at the beck and call in the past of various military and civil administrations. The police force in Karachi is still governed by the Police Act of 1857 instead of the Police Act of 2002. In numerous cases, Rangers have been found to be part of the problem. And, an operation launched in Karachi is said to be non-political and across-the-board. However, the perception negates this claim. That is why, Army commander is forced to inject a measure of clarity into complexity of the issue.
The issues facing Karachi are not that simple; nor are there any simple solutions to problems. These would need to be tackled by both the military high command and the elected civilian leadership. But, there is growing mistrust between them. And, this is quite apparent. It needs to end if success is to be achieved not only in Karachi in particular but across Pakistan in general.
Corruption on the civilian side is well known and must end. But who will tackle the corruption within the high ranks of the Army - that has been aired in the media. We cannot and should not allow the Pakistan Army to get bogged down in running the country. Their main task is to defend the territorial integrity of Pakistan. Life on the border is quite tough and needs hardening of persons. The nation is indeed profoundly indebted to the valiant sacrifices of our soldiers. The lure of the cities like Karachi is indeed there. But without local government as the third tier of governance, it is not possible to develop Karachi and cater for over 20 million living there. The last local government did work towards development of Karachi. However, the political leadership also continued to settle scores with the opposition which led to politicisation of law enforcement agencies. The urban-rural divide in Sindh is a grim reality; it needs to be recognised. This is the first step. Mistrust between the civil leadership and the Army brass needs to end. And, all the points agreed in the National Action Plan (NAP) against the scourges of terrorism and extremism need to be enforced. Karachi needs funds to provide adequate civil amenities, on a payable cost to all. Army (Rangers) can only stop terrorists from attacking people. It is the police which can fight criminals provided they have a free hand and adequate force is raised locally from among the Karachiites and not just imported from the northern Pakistan or interior Sindh. There will be no gain from dwelling into history or indulging in a blame-game. Let us look forward rather than bicker among ourselves. We have a lot of things to do to make Karachi livable once again. So let us do it without any further loss of time.
Comments
Comments are closed.