The already bristling ethnic situation in Karachi has gone further awry with the murder of MQM chief Altaf Hussain's brother and nephew. MQM leaders alleged that the two died in police custody and that these were vendetta killings following the assassination of Ehsan Ali Shah, the Sindh Chief Minister Abdullah Shah's elder brother.

Vengeance is in the air and more violence is likely in Karachi whose dip into a Beirut-like situation of yesteryears seems imminent.

The law enforcement agencies have come under fire from international and local civil rights groups for "resorting to extra-judicial killings'' to crush militant opposition factions.

Seven persons died in police custody during October-November. Deaths while in police hands are the worst things that can happen in a society because here it is the government or the state which by implication gets the very bad name that they like to give others as militants or terrorists. The MQM has been decried as a terrorist group with almost a reli-Sious regularity by the, people in power. Now. ow is the Sindh government or the authorities in Pakistan going to explain the alleged conduct of the law enforcers?

One looks up to the Judicial committee constituted to go into the episode to unravel the truth in due course. However, so long as the handling of the law and order situation in Karachi is not reputedly depoliticised, the city has more trouble lying in store for it.