AS Karachi slid into unrest again on Wednesday, the reaction of the government and Supreme Court to the city’s law and order situation provided some idea of why they are failing to get a grip on the problem. Yesterday’s heavy firing in multiple localities struck fear into the hearts of Karachiites already shaken by Sunday’s massive bombing. It was a living example of the complexity of crime and violence in the city, one vulnerable to both terrorism and political, ethnic and sectarian agendas. In contrast to this are the uninspiring efforts of the Supreme Court and the interior minister to address the state’s failure to protect life and property.

The new bench established by the apex court in response to the Sunday bombing seems to be taking the same unsuccessful route as the bench that was created in 2011 to look into law and order in the city. It has ordered, for example, the suspension of several policemen, and the provincial government followed suit by removing from their posts two senior officers. But what significant and lasting change has ever been achieved in Karachi by firing and transferring law-enforcement officials? The older bench’s orders have also included such impractical measures as deweaponisation and delimitation. Nor has the interior minister sounded any more effective, busy as he has been avoiding the terrorism problem by shifting responsibility to the provincial governments. Just because law and order is a provincial subject doesn’t mean the interior ministry can sit back after passing on intelligence. And while the Punjab government is widely believed to be soft on militancy, the interior minister’s focus on that piece of the problem feels opportunistic and political. Despite all their public statements, then, neither the court nor the government are focusing on the bold and promising solutions that are needed. For example, there is an obvious need for a central, well-equipped, well-trained counterterrorism authority that reports directly to the prime minister and coordinates across provinces and agencies. Instead of moving forward with new ideas, both the administration and the judiciary that is trying to hold it accountable are reheating the same tired tactics.