IN the hurly-burly of Pakistani politics, anything is possible. Perhaps that is why the smiles, rousing slogans and pledges of cooperation witnessed at the MQM`s headquarters on Friday to mark the visit of a high-powered PPP delegation did not surprise many. It was as though the acrimoniousness that has marked relations between the two parties over the past few months — which at times translated into street violence — was merely a misunderstanding. The Sindh chief minister, accompanied by the federal interior minister, led the PPP side in the visit to Nine Zero, as the MQM headquarters are known. Yet it was Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza`s presence in the delegation that caught many political observers by surprise. He is not exactly known for couching criticism of coalition partners in diplomatic language, and his statements in the past have elicited equally vitriolic responses from the MQM.
It is not clear what has brought about the rapprochement between the estranged allies. The more cynical amongst us would say that it is part of the same political gamesmanship witnessed countless times before, necessitated by self-preservation. More optimistic observers would suggest that it is a sign of maturity and political pragmatism. Dialogue is always better than the politics of the gun and Karachi has witnessed too much violence over the past few months for the city`s political stakeholders to continue harbouring grudges. Along with being a harbinger of peace in the city, the thaw in relations should also hopefully lead to better governance in Sindh and perhaps even the MQM`s return to the federal cabinet. Let us also hope this new understanding is not at the cost of the PPP-PML-N negotiations to evolve consensus on economic issues.Though officially there is no word on what really brought the two parties together, some reports in the media suggest disturbingly that the patch-up is the result of a `secret agreement` between the PPP and MQM to not prosecute suspects with political links in anti-terrorism courts. If this is the case and an agreement has been reached just to save supporters from prosecution, it is indefensible. Political parties should help strengthen the rule of law by allowing those suspected of being involved in `targeted killings` and other acts of violence to clear their names in court without applying pressure or entering underhanded deals. Targeted killings have claimed far too many victims in the metropolis and those involved in these brutal acts must be brought to justice. We must hope that this is not the case and both parties have reached a genuine agreement to bury the hatchet and work for better governance. That would deserve welcome as it would help bring peace to Karachi and strengthen the democratic process.
0 comments:
Post a Comment