Articles of the year 2015
Published on August 10th 2015
The MQM leader has indeed crossed the line, and perhaps his apologies to the people of Pakistan may not be acceptable. He has of late become unreasonable, and now insisting that the UN and U.S. Forces and India be called upon to assist the Mohajir in the formation of a separate state.
The threshold where a slogan becomes treason may be left to a judge. In which case the noose becomes an option. The MQM has moved too quickly, and may not be in a position that they can hold. To equate themselves with Bangladesh is far fetched and will not work. The Pakistani people consist of not only Punjabi( the targets for now) but also the Pathans and the Sindhis who will certainly not back any Muhajir leadership. Altaf has overplayed his hand, and has been trapped by his own ego, now grown beyond reality. To see him on TV reaffirms this opinion. The important fact is that the sizeable rest off the Pakistanis do not accept Altaf as their leader for Karachi. The Rabita committee itself is unsure of its future, and apologise to any listeners that they are not part of any plan to leave Pakistan. While the establishment has learnt its lesson in 1970,and do not have any Bhutto to help implement such a move.
Nor will Altaf find any takers from the international players. However the position that Pakistan finds itself in, could lead to a cleansing of Karachi, which has already been started, and the criminal elements have been identified and picked up. The judgements are awaited. The MQM has been identified as too closely connected to criminals to survive legally, regardless of any political cover, which will now be denied them forever. And as a legal entity, without the fear factor they will find it impossible to survive even for a day.
Ch Nisar is unlikely to give them any room to continue their criminal activity, and the other Parties such as Imran and the ANP, will certainly not allow it. Gen Raheel Shareef is doing a great job in rounding up the criminals, their being Muhajirs is their own problem. For them to cry persecution is a song heard too many times, and not believed by anyone. Altaf has shown his true face, and now the State of Pakistan will have to act. The MQM chose its partners well (Zardari and co) but the net has closed on them as well. These were all criminal enterprises and Pakistan can well do without them. The MQM and Zardari understood the use of the State in reaping benefits, and protection. Now that the protection is withdrawn, they will find it difficult to fund their activities. The people of Pakistan are now up in arms, and the MQM will find themselves targeted by their own previous targets!
The office of the Prime Minister is strangely silent. It is important that the Prime Minister himself speaks on the issue, and states categorically his position on criminal acts, and criminal activities. The Prime Minister cannot condone such behaviour, as he is the establishment, and must apply the law irrespective of the party. The law must apply to all. The hesitation of the Prime Minister is sending a confused signal, and is being taken by th MQM as an indicator that the PMLN does in fact support the MQM, and its anti-Pakistan stance. Which would be suicide for any party wishing to continue working in the country. Without the ‘fear factor’ that has already been exposed, and neutralised by the arrest of the bulk of their operatives, the MQM would find that it’s vote bank too has been severely curtailed . Without the formidable fear factor, the other political parties would encroach upon the MQM turf, and the MQM would find life difficult, having made life difficult for others they would find that as pariahs, with no protection from the government or their goons, life in the third world is not easy. It is now important that the PMLN stands up for the law. The PTI is already on the battlefield, now the PMLN will have to come forward decisively. Or they will lose face, and their vote bank in the Punjab.
Their hesitancy has already cost them dearly in Sind, and the PMLN in Sind is virtually non existent. Can the PMLN survive only in the Punjab? It has already been identified as a Nawaz Sharif party only, and is being targeted by the PTI, and the others. In a new election it is unlikely if the Nawaz Sharif lustre can continue. The scams surfacing will, coupled with the power and water crisis cannot be wished away by 45 billion Dollars of Chinese dreams. The Pakistanis have heard all these dreams before, and the Roti,Kapra or Makan never materialised. The slogans of Imran exposing scams are much closer to the reality being lived and suffered by the Pakistanis on a daily basis.