Karachi under Army

A lot is being said and written for and against calling the army for restoring law and order in Karachi. I am for it.  To my mind de-weaponisation of Karachi is the only answer to stop this wanton killing.  No weapons no killing. There is such a huge number of weapons there that it will not be an easy task to get them all back. I would, therefore, suggest the following sequence of action for the army to collect the weapons:

1. Impose curfew in the suspected/dangerous areas, completely sealing them off from the rest of the city by shooting at sight to restrict the movement and taking away/shifting of the weapons to other localities.  Strict vigilance be kept that no weapons are sneaked away to other localities during the 'relaxation' time of the curfew. 
2. Allow three days for all to deposit the weapons in the nearest Police Station with proper record of the surrendered weapons maintained under the supervision of army officers. Police cannot be trusted with this responsibility for obvious reasons.  Extensive publicity by all media radio, TV, newspapers, posters and dropping of leaflets, loud speakers etc. be given that no harm will come to those who surrender the licensed or unlicensed  weapons but any one found with a weapon after three days will be killed with the same weapon.

Not all will deposit their weapons. I bet.

After three days house to house search under strict curfew be carried out. There are bound to be a quite a few culprits hiding weapons. Take  three or four of them and shoot them with their own weapons within the seeing and hearing of others. Thereafter, publicise the shooting widely with all means of publicity. Human Rightists, please hold your horses.

1. Give them another period of three ‘grace’ days to surrender their weapons once again, making it quite clear to them that this shall be the FINAL warning and ALL those failing to deposit the weapons hereafter SHALL meet the same fate. 

ALL weapons will be surrendered. Again I bet it

The entire Karachi will be clean of weapons in a matter of week or so. Now, great care must be taken that no new weapons find their way into Karachi again. There are only a few and known ‘in roads’ and ‘passages’ for the smuggling in of such weapons and the police and others know them. The respective Police in charge of the area must be MOST severely and mercilessly dealt with if any firing takes place in his area of responsibility.

Recall the army back to barracks IMMEDIATELY on completion of their task.

Give me the force and free hand, I volunteer to undertake this task.  And, if I fail, I should be guillotined in the city square.

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)