Terrorists can murder Pakistani singer Amjad Sabri, not his music of peace

After Khurram Zaki, it's Amjad Sabri. Another assassination in Karachi, in a matter of just over a month.

The 45-year-old Sufi singer Sabri was gunned down in the Liaqatabad area of the city on June 22. This comes after media campaigner and activist Khurram Zaki was killed on May 7, and a day before Sabri's assassination, Awais Ali Shah, the son of Sindh High Court chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah was kidnapped. Clearly, law and order in the city has gone haywire.

It shows the failure of the system in spite of the National Action Plan that was introduced by the government to combat terrorism.

Activists and famous personalities are increasingly under threat in Pakistan, and considering the impunity with which assailants came and opened fire on Sabri, that too in a crowded city like Karachi, the government's claim that it has been able to control terrorism doesn't hold much water.

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"First, advocate Awais Ali Shah was kidnapped and then, Amjad Sabri was killed. Such incidents have obviously some links. We believe certain forces want to harm the Sindh government, and after these two incidents, you will see a third incident too," said a source, who wished to stay anonymous.

"If a third incident happens, then the Sindh government will hardly survive," the source added.

Making matters worse, the same day that Sabri was killed, famous Noha Khwan Farhan Ali Warsi said he escaped an assassination attempt in Karachi.

Terrorist group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for Sabri's killing. But why was Sabri targeted? Amjad Sabri's brother Sarwat Sabri refuted earlier reports of the Sufi singer facing death threats. "Amjad Sabri had no threats to his life," he said.

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SSP (investigations) of central Karachi, Arab Mahar, said: "We are investigating the case, trying to find out who was actually responsible for Sabri's killing."

He lamented that the system lacked resources to effectively fight crime in a city like Karachi that has a population of over two crore.

The police official added that there were forces that would benefit from a breakdown in law and order in the city. He paid glowing tributes to the slain Sufi singer, and noted that Sabri spread the message of peace through his songs.

Terrorists may have killed a great singer, but they can't kill his music that spoke of love and peace. Let Sabri's killers be reminded that he is still alive in his songs:

• Main toh deewani khwaja ki deewani
• Sansaar har ko pooje
• Guru ko jagat saraahe
• Paap dhul jaaye saare ke
• Paapan hoon main
• Bhaag mere jaga
• Do abhagan hoon main
• Tu hai data mera aur
• Bhikharan hoon main
• Main toh kyaa cheez hoon