Target killings and education

By Suzanna Sardar Masih

Karachi is a mega city with a racially, ethnically, politically and religiously diverse population. With so many people of varying ideologies and beliefs conflict is bound to arise. The last year or so has seen a rise in the trend known as target killing usually carried out by but not limited to political parties and their ‘karkuns’. The stream of endless violence and gore has paralyzed the city on various occasions. Education like other arenas of life is also very badly affected by all these episodes.

One of the most recent examples is that of the killing of MQM MPA Raza Haider. Within a matter of hours of the incident violence erupted all over Karachi shops, buses, petrol pumps were set on fire and much chaos ensued. More than 30 people lost their lives in the violence. Due to situation in the city all educational institutes were instructed to remain closed the next day. Even the days after that attendance in them was very low as parents preferred to keep their children home fearing more violence.


Target killings are taking a toll on the academic lives of us students. With bouts of violence erupting anytime anywhere in the city without so much as a warning our studies are affected. Due to unavailability of public transport or points we can’t make it to our universities or colleges and if by some miracle we do either the teacher couldn’t make it or a political party has ‘declared’ classes as off.

Then there is the issue that target killings when area specific create problems for students as well. One part of the city may be shut down whereas the rest goes on as normal. In this situation it is the student who suffers because he can’t reach the university or college and thus misses out on a whole day of lectures and not to mention the all important attendance.

KU being as diverse as the Karachi landscape itself is a hub of student politics and party activists. In the past, incidents of altercations between these parties are very common resulting in tense conditions inside the university. With target killings on the rise it is only a matter of time before what is going on in the city enters our university too. Because of such worries many parents including my own are reluctant to send their children to study here. God forbid a day like that ever comes till then we can only hope that these terrorists (because that’s what they are) realize the damage they are doing to themselves, us and future of Pakistan.