GIVEN the kind of environment and ambience that we have in the city, how far is the Karachiite’s question justified when he wonders that there is now a fear of the unknown that we live with. There are all kinds of official assurances and reassurances about security that are being given, and there is visible high profile security too, but that lingering apprehension stays.

I wonder what kind of advice parents give to their children when they leave home. What should any person leaving home do in an emergency? Given the kind of society we are turning into there is a need for clear answers instead of ambiguous promises or empty reassurances.

Before referring to the suicide bombing that took place in the city on March 2, it is pertinent at this stage to mention some advice that has recently been given explicitly by a multinational firm to its employees. The circular says that the “advice is being issued to apprise employees of the general precautions to be observed in a disturbed law and order situation and does not necessarily confirm that the law and order situation is likely to get out of control of law enforcement agencies.

“It has been observed that normally the law and order situation takes time to deteriorate, having been triggered by processions and strike calls by political parties/religious groups etc. Fridays or any other day having religious /national significance is considered a good opportunity to exploit/appeal to public sentiment and disrupt normal life. Generally strikes and processions aim at paralyzing normal activity to have maximum impact and resort to arson and looting.”

The many specific advices that have been given to the employees (which we also find useful, I may add) further suggests that “do travel in pairs if possible and call your colleagues living in the same locality to travel collectively from a pre-determined point, select open and well-defined fairways for driving/travel. Avoid congested roads, dead-end streets and short cuts. Remain in cell contact with your family or colleagues while commuting. If you encounter a procession while commuting, turn into the nearest side lane/service road, switch off and lock you car and stand far away from your vehicle. If there is an opportunity to get away safely, do so, but do not put your vehicle or yourself at risk.”

I find this circular very useful and one would like to suggest that other organizations, given the specific needs of their employees and staff, should also do the same. An elementary bit of advice on what should men, women, or children do, for example if they are trapped in one of those suffocating traffic jams, with summer due shortly, needs to be developed by some public interest organizations. It would indeed be an act of kindness, to say the least.

This circular says that late night outings should be discouraged, avoid branded restaurants, certain kinds of premises, and “while travelling never display a high profile.” Further it says that “while travelling you must have all emergency telephone numbers, do not place your mobile phones and other valuables on the vehicle dash board while travelling/parking.” It goes on to add: “while driving lock your doors with the window glass up and leave enough distance from the car in front so that in case the front car stops/blocks the road, there is enough space for you to get away.”

And finally, it is advised that “always move with adequate amount of currency which can meet your immediate requirements in a crisis”. And here is some advice which Karachiites can find very useful: “It is advisable that colleagues residing in the same locality evolve a community commuting plan in which movement to and from the work place is done collectively or at least in twos or threes. Select a couple of rally points. You can cut down on the number of cars and keep one kilometre distance between your vehicles commuting and remember to remain in cell phone contact”.

There is much to contemplate about these serious (read grim) bits of advice. Here one thought that comes to mind is mobile snatching. This is what happened to my colleague (who had a dacoity at his North Nazimabad home where his family valuables worth Rsone million, besides having undergone a shattering experience when criminals broke into his home a fortnight ago.) In this cellphone snatching case outside Hotel Pearl Continental and Baghe Jinnah car parking lot around 8pm, he was robbed at gunpoint by a smartly dressed man on a motorcycle.

I have deliberately mentioned this cellphone snatching incident in the above mentioned locality. It is a high-profile area, and as has been stressed upon in the suicide bombing case outside Hotel Marriot and US consulate, it is possibly the locality which has the highest security cover. And yet this incident took place on Thursday in which four persons, died, including an American diplomat. At least 54 were injured. The suicide bombing also damaged the hotel, the consulate, and about 20 vehicles. Above all, it has once again hurt the image of the city, dented the confidence of the investor and once again shattered the nerves (read faith of the citizens when it comes to security and crime matters. The front page headline of this very daily on Friday was telling: “Karachi hit by terror attack, four killed. Another daily’s front page reported “Suicide bomber hits city.”

What is the kind of February that we have had, at least the second fortnight. On the subject of the blasphemous cartoons there have been rallies and protests (which uncertainty of all sorts). After Thursday blast near US consulate, the city was in a state of quiet shock and then came Friday’s strike, which pushed that tense mood further. The arrival of President Bush in Pakistan gives the protest deeper dimension.

I was talking to an agitated colleague about what happens next. He reminds me that there is a protest rally scheduled for Sunday in Karachi and then another on Tuesday in Quetta. Can one hope for some kind of peace after that? Some of us have illusions that this can happen. But there are restless, vociferous others who say that they have no such illusions. They contend that you cannot simply wish away problems that confound our lives. There are grim, gnawing problems on all fronts, and genuine solutions don’t seem to be forthcoming.

A skeptical young man with whom I talked to on Thursday evening, after yet another terrorist attack in this high-profile locality (the last was at PIDC House) picked up the expression “unknown fears” to change it to insinuate that difficult days lie ahead. He called it “still unborn fears”. What is it that gives birth to all this? Think!