The speech, picked up by local television channels, showed the MQM chief ranting against the Pakistan military, calling on Nato and the US to intervene in Karachi and even calling on India to intervene if it has any ‘shame’. The highly inflammatory speech was received in the same tone by the political leadership of Pakistan, with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan terming the statements equal to ‘waging war against the country.’ Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar not only questioned Altaf Hussain’s patriotism and good sense, he said the government was preparing a legal reference to be sent to the British government regarding the MQM leader’s attempt to wage war against Pakistan by inviting foreign forces to intervene in its internal affairs. The minister once again defended the operation by the Rangers in Karachi as being conducted without discrimination against criminal and terrorist elements and not aimed at any one party. Chaudhry Nisar pointed to the improved law and order situation in the metropolis, saying kidnapping for ransom had almost completely been eliminated and everyone, including MQM, was satisfied with the situation except criminal elements within the party. The MQM needs to review the facts clearly and practically. The operation being carried out in Karachi, which the party perceives targets it, has clearly helped improve law and order in the city and does have support of important stakeholders, including citizens. The Rangers have been able to bring down the rate of crime and also put some dent in the corrupt activities of various mafias operating in the city. Given these realities, the MQM as a major party needs to be much more cautious about what it says and precisely what language its leaders use. Mr Hussain’s latest call is, essentially, unacceptable and the government’s outrage is understandable. However, it needs to correct the perception that has developed that the operation by the law-enforcement agencies specifically targets Karachi and its political parties.Some analysts are openly asking whether the party would be allowed to function as in the past, even if it is not banned. At the time of writing these lines, a high level meeting chaired by the prime minister was expected to be convened to discuss the issue. Unfortunately for the government and the law enforcement agencies, they may get more purchase out of actions on the ground in Karachi than any ‘legal reference’ to the British government.Here, London is accused in some circles of having a vested interest in the past in offering asylum and even citizenship to Altaf Hussain despite his controversial record. Whether the Pakistan government’s legal reference will change that soft corner for Altaf Hussain, the cases against him in Britain quoted by the interior minister notwithstanding, or will the whole furore die down once again as it so often has in the past, only time will tell.
pk.shafaqna.com
