GUNFIRE filled the rarefied air of Karachi’s upmarket DHA on late Thursday night as a clash between two groups from the Bugti clan left five dead and two critically injured. A case was registered on behalf of the state, which the police believe, will convey “a strict message to both sides that such an act is not acceptable”. It also prevents the groups from reaching a compromise. But the bloodbath was led by two tribal overlords: Fahad, a nephew of the late Baloch chieftain Nawab Akbar Bugti, and his cousin, Ali Haider. The question then is: can the state bell such powerful cats?

Although accompanied by much shock and outrage, the bloody episode is a case study in the dark side of privilege: the sociopolitical compulsions to accumulate weapons backfire. The rule for peace and safety is clear — guns do not curtail crime. Instead, they kill and have repeatedly failed society, especially the vulnerable. This country needs a culture that views weapons with disdain, an infrastructure that tracks firearms, makes gun use difficult and gets tough on gun-toting private security entourages and availability — in short, sweeping gun control procedures and elite compliance. It is absurd that possessing and brandishing illicit weapons is the preferred option to taking the legal course. The fact that the law enforcement is riddled with sycophants of feudal wealth and influence only ensures that little will change. For as long as unregulated cottage weapon industries, widespread trade and ownership of assault rifles and smuggling of vast caches of arms across the border flourish in this country, their spill-over effect will be felt by both the privileged and the poor. Finally, the powerful too have to extricate themselves from gun lobbies, make all firepower hard to acquire and less dangerous to use. At present, we are a most conducive venue for gun violence. This means more blood and tears.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2024