Karachi Killings

Not a day passes when a dozen or so innocent people are not killed in Karachi, mostly on account of preplanned target killing.   Though the law enforcing agencies are blamed for their incompetency to control the crime yet, I think it is just beyond them.  The main reason is that the terrorists have the initiative to chose the time, place and the target which is not known to the law enforcement forces, and they cannot be at every place.  Each incident comes to them as a total surprise and they can only react to it after it has happened rather than preempt or prevent it before hand.  Again 99 percent of the killing is done by the motor cyclists, who after committing the crime disappear  weaving their way through the side streets and the bylanes of the thickly populated Karachi city.  Now, it is a common knowledge that there have to be at least two of them on a bike to perform the heinous act. A single person on the motorbike cannot do it.&nbs p; So, wouldn’t it help if the pillion riding is banned in Karachi for good or for as long as required, as it is done on certain special religious occasions and political rallies  etc.?   I am fully aware of the inconvenience it would cause to the general public, especially the middle class, but would that be more than the loss and agony suffered by the families of the victims who lose their near and dear bread earners  for the rest of their lives?!

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)