There has been increased tension over the mysterious killings of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers in Karachi. Four MQM workers were killed during an alleged shootout with the Rangers that have made the situation worse. The MQM leadership has expressed reservations about the conduct of the operation in Karachi while the law enforcement agencies claim that they are targeting only criminals and terrorists. The MQM has accused the Rangers of killing its workers extrajudicially while the Rangers have termed it a baseless allegation and told the media that the killed persons were target killers and belonged to the MQM. Mystery shrouds the killings as the MQM claims that it has already filed a case in the court against the disappearance of its 150 workers including the four who were killed on September 10. MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar has alleged that there were clear marks of torture on the bodies of the slain workers. The MQM has announced that the party will take out a protest procession on Sunday from Liaquatabad to the Quaid’s mausoleum against the killings. The atmosphere in Karachi is becoming tense day by day. A pattern of exterminating suspects through encounters is becoming more common these days. The controversial shortcut of staged encounters to avoid court procedures is not acceptable in any case. It is being presumed that a random encounter is the only suitable option to eliminate terror and crimes in the light of an ineffective judicial system. The argument cannot be justified. Rather, an impartial investigation needs to be conducted into the claims of the MQM that has repeatedly been saying that its workers have been in the custody of law enforcement agencies for months and now they are being killed through alleged shootouts. It is an eminently fit case for a judicial inquiry. If the charges levelled by the MQM prove true, the whole operation and its objectives will become controversial and the government will lose credibility. No institution can be allowed to act arbitrarily and in violation of the law. The killing of suspects through shootouts is not a good option and can bring disastrous results. Every accused must be produced in court and tried as per the law of the land. No one should be allowed to indulge in carrying out on-the-spot justice. The federal government needs to wake up to its responsibilities. It is high time that the state should intervene and constitute a judicial inquiry committee to investigate the killings of MQM workers. The claims and counterclaims by the Rangers and MQM must be thoroughly probed to clarify the situation. If the government fails to enforce the state writ, its consequences will be horrible and will lead the country to more chaos. *