The successive attacks on imambargahs in Karachi, Quetta, and Rawalpindi on Wednesday have exposed the weaknesses of the security forces viz a viz the audacity of terrorists. They kill at will.

Heavy contingents of security have been unable to check their movement. These sycophants kill innocent people fearlessly all around the country shamelessly. This stark aggression shows that there are wheels within wheels in Pakistan.

Security measures are proving to be counterproductive. The more we concentrate on security, the more human loss is caused. All high claims of foolproof security during the first ten days of Muharram proved to be bubbles of water. Instead of raising hollow slogans, some concrete steps logically enforced could have saved various precious lives.

Our commiserations are with the bereaved families. Pakistan is bleeding in the holy month of Moharram ul haraam. The month wherein wars with infidels are prohibited; but here, Muslims are killed by frenzied cult. Killing people ruthlessly is not tolerable in any religion of the world.

Islam gives the message of tolerance and forgiveness, but we see the opposite in Pakistan. A handful of fanatics have created a raucous by playing with the lives of innocent people.

People from all walks of life and civil society activists should rise to the occasion and curb the nuisance of terrorism with an iron hand. Measures must be taken to stop this genocide.

IFTIKHAR MIRZA
Islamabad

Plea for a solution
This is apropos of Bismah Mirza’s letter, “Karachi: blood and bullets before polls” (Nov 21).

The hub of economic activity is under tremendous threat that could wreak havoc on the state of law. Extortion money has to be paid in favour of the extortionists within the deadline.

This has become a routine practice for businessmen in Karachi; gang wars have resulted in civil disarray; a daily toll of eight to 12 people is reported killed or found in the coffin of a sack along roadsides.

As sectarian violence is also taking its toll, even the best of efforts and plans made by the law-enforcement agencies and the government of Sindh seem to have fallen flat.
The authorities concerned need to come up with more sensible and sensitive tactics and solutions to cope with the deadly situation in Karachi.

SOHAIL MEMON
Sukkur

Sustained measures
According to news reports in the media, the Sindh government imposed a ban on wall chalking, hate literature and speeches against religious personalities in the province in line with Muharram security arrangements. It was also reported that citing intelligence the district administration has banned 28 firebrand ulema from delivering speeches/sermons and 24 others from entering Rawalpindi for 60 days.

These are good measures. But what will happen once Muharram is over? These time-bound restrictions clearly imply that once this month is over, mayhem will return.
Does this mean that wall-chalking to condemn others, making hate speeches against others and printing and distributing hate literature against opponents will then be permissible and will not be a crime anymore?

Further the firebrand ulema will also be welcome everywhere to deliver their fiery speeches to promote hatred and to persuade their followers to condemn and where possible to eliminate all those having different beliefs.

No wonder we are in such a deep mess; torn, fragmented, witnessing killings all around and helpless at the hands of the militants.

JAMIL AHMAD BUTT
Karachi

Mafia rule
People gave a mandate to politicians for good governance and financial discipline, not to allow armed gangs to roam around freely in Karachi, indulge in target killings, subject them to extortion and submit them to kidnapping for ransom.

Instead of reversing policies of an illegitimate military ruler, those elected have only further added to the woes of a population suffering from inflation, unemployment, insecurity and politics of violence.

When power is given without any accountability, chaos follows. In the rule of law, none should have a choice to be above the law and nobody dare exercise this choice to flout laws, nor should this be a subject of political negotiations. Karachi suffers because criminals are free to do as they will and because crime pays a bonanza. There is no fear of accountability, nor do laws apply equally to all. More money is collected through extortion by powerful mafia gangs, than is collected by FBR in Karachi. For a city that has been notoriously declared as the most dangerous city of Asia, it should have raised many eyebrows why public office holders were more interested in giving ransom money to pirates of Somalia, while pirates in Karachi hold numerous more innocent citizens to ransom and thousands are brutally killed in this city.

Being elected is not getting a carte blanche to do as you will; instead it imposes a responsibility on the elected majority to enforce the rule of law, collect taxes and diligently spend this money on collective public welfare, providing security, infra structure development, imparting education and health.

Instead what we see is the reverse of all that should have been delivered by the elected representatives.

RASHID ORAKZAI
Texas, US

PTV coverage
There were two bomb blasts on the eve of Nov 21 in Karachi. Every channel was giving live coverage of these blasts cancelling their routine programmes except PTV. This is quite shameful.

KHALID BUTT
Karachi