Politics
 
Mirza’s expose?: Time to call a spade a spade
Visits 191
Visits 191
September 09, 2011
The deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi haunts the entire nation. The people of Pakistan demand a well thoughtout long-term strategy to deal with the problems of the city.

The federal and provincial governments’ officials have been parroting that they were capable to restore peace in the city with the help of civilian institutions. However, many political observers seem convinced that civilian institutions lack both will and capacity to handle bloodshed in Karachi.

The endless target killings exposed the civilian institutions’ incapacity to cope with their responsibility. The powerlessness of the civilian institutions to combat the menace of gang-war in the port city necessitates an involvement of the Army to end the ‘no-go-areas’ and restore the writ of the government in Karachi. Indeed, it is easy to recommend the military solution, but the ground realities may be different and obstruct the positive outcome of the military operation in the city.

The worsening situation of the city has also attracted the apex court’s attention. It took a suo motu notice of Karachi carnage. On September 5, 2011, a five-member Supreme Court bench presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, while hearing the suo motu case of Karachi violence, ordered IG Sindh Wajid Durrani to carry out an indiscriminate operation throughout the city. Without a doubt, it is a right step in the right direction, however the situation warrants constructive response from the political elite. Without the political parties’ sincere cooperation, the indiscriminate police operation against the miscreants is impossible.

Ironically, the political elite is either immature or is least interested to restore peace in the city. The ruling political party’s senior members (cabinet members) have failed to elucidate a consensus policy regarding the city. In addition, the coalition partners of the government are more interested in their petty political issues instead of restoring peace in the city.

The Karachi situation has also exposed the intra-party conflicts of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, a senior member of the PPP and Sindh’s Interior Minister for three years in the current setup, accused Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Federal Government’s coalition partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) of being anti-state forces, at a press conference.

Mr. Rehman Malik has become a controversial figure after Zulfiqar Mirza’s press conference on August 28, 2011. Instead of conducting serious investigation and debating the legality of the charges leveled against Mr. Malik by the former Sindh Cabinet member, the entire private electronic media has been debating the issue as sensational news.

The unending discourse in the media about the interior minister of the country is very much damaging for the country’s image and also encouraging variable for the anti-state elements covertly operating within Pakistan. In addition, it is prejudicious to the common man’s morale and confidence in the political institutions of the state.

The interior minister’s performance was also questioned by senior PPP Senator Lashkari Raisani on September 5, 2011. He warned the high-ups in the country that: “If the talk of Zulfiqar Mirza is not taken seriously, then the anti-Pakistan elements would be encouraged. We are in contact with the resistance elements, who are ready to join mainstream, but whenever Rehman Malik comes to Baluchistan, he sabotages the negotiation process by using harsh tone. I demand top leadership of the party to take action against him forthwith, otherwise the circumstances would go beyond control.” The warning of the senator, who is the brother of Balochistan Chief Minister, is not ignorable.

The allegations leveled against MQM and Interior Minister of Pakistan require thorough investigation because these charges are of serious nature. Unfortunately, the federal government has not constituted any commission to investigate these charges, till the writing of these lines. This apathetic approach of the PPP government is not in the national interest. Importantly, the systematic investigation would be in the interest of both Mr. Malik and MQM. It would provide them an opportunity to finish or falsify the allegations against them.

To conclude, the ongoing debate about the conspiracy against Pakistan in the media and Karachi situation is demoralizing and disgusting. Therefore, it is imperative that the ruling elite should chalk out a political strategy to combat these challenges to restore the confidence of the people in the political institutions of the state and also peace and harmony in the biggest commercial hub the country.

  • Khyber-PakhtunKhawa
  • Balochistan
  • Punjab
  • Sindh
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