MYSTERIOUS and unstoppable. It is these words that perhaps best describe the recent surge in traffic-related accidents in Karachi, which has also caught the attention of the chairman of the ruling party in the province. With citizens of the port city perishing at the hands of reckless drivers seemingly on a daily basis, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has reportedly instructed the Sindh government to go “all out” to curb further incidents. But what does “all out” mean? The Karachi police have so far appeared helpless when it comes to containing the menace. They also have no plausible explanation to offer for the sudden and inexplicable rise in the incidence of deadly accidents. While the city police have set up an official body to analyse road accidents, perhaps they should be looking inward as well.

It does not seem unreasonable to assume that the roots of the problem may lie in routine policing and regulatory failures metastasizing over the years into a major public safety issue. The enforcement of traffic regulations has, after all, been traditionally lax in the city, while the standard for issuing driver’s licences has also never been strict enough. The result is that there now seems to be a worryingly large number of people behind the wheel who lack adequate road sense or the capacity to responsibly operate their vehicles. Those on the road also often seem to lack respect for traffic police. The rampant ‘chai paani’ culture has allowed people to view traffic rules and regulations as ‘optional’ since there are very rarely any serious consequences for breaking them. Therefore, while the police are free to explore other reasons for the recent rise in traffic fatalities, they must also acknowledge these systemic failings and address them. Public anger has been brewing at the unchecked death toll. The police must respond with immediate and visible action. Otherwise, this situation could turn ugly.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025