Land(zar,zameen and zan) is one of the THREE.

Land has strange properties and characteristics.It is scarce and abundant at the same time.It starts with literally no value and is thus occupied ,both by the needy and as well as mafiosi and organised interests.Ultimately it becomes so scarce and pricey that it makes other things more expensive as well.Many people believe that land belongs to God,State or Tribe.In urban area mostly poor occupy lands without titles or purchasing it,for they cannot purchase.In rural areas,lands have been bestowed upon as a reward for collusion with occupying external powers or a victorious King in lieu of military and extraction of revenue from the tiller.In short the land ownership suffers from many moral,political ,social and even legal problems.

Current strife in Karachi and the more to come has a bearing with the Land issue.Land mafias operate through the landless and the poor,the latter occupy potential lands on behalf of mafia.Builders somehow develop interests in these lands. And a bloody conflict can generate.Often governments,mafiosi and builder interest combine and the profit making enterprise goes on quietly and amicably contributing many useful and elite members of the society.This time in Karachi,interests are clashing.Some intelligent negotiator may solve the problem by arbitrating among these interests.

In normal societies policies,law, reform and judicial process take care of the conflict.In Pakistan and especially in Karachi mayhems and bloodsheds are quietly forgotten.Governments find it convenient not to probe and prosecute the culprits.It has become so easy and safe to take human life that the bloody process continues unabated and is even growing in its various facets.

There seems to be a Machiavellian phenomenon in current strife.ANP and MQM blame each other for various killings,sometimes openly and sometimes indirectly.PPP and its government in Sindh ,in its heart of hearts,considers both the parties and the polities the two represent to be the outsiders who somehow dominate the urban politics and economics in the province.If they kill each other and by some magic become week,it is the PPP and the polity it represents in Sindh is the winner. Hence the possible lack of interests and a semblance of success in resolving the issue.

Judiciary ought to act in Law and Order issues of such dire importance.Judiciary has previously shown interest in almost every problem which ought to be better left with the executive and the parliament.It has learnt good lessons and appears to have normalized.Judiciary has the powers and neutrality,which it should not lose,to induce or even force the reigning governments to do the needful in this respect.Appointment of Judicial commissions,their follow up,publishing of the report and successful prosecution are the issues where Judiciary has the most important role to play and it must.