There’s never smoke without fire
A large number of First Information Reports (FIR’s) have been registered against MQM chief Altaf Hussain across Sindh following alleged ‘inflammatory remarks’ made by him against the military this month. This is not the first time that criminal cases have been registered against MQM and its chief in Pakistan. Earlier, more than three thousand criminal cases registered against various activists of MQM were withdrawn when the then-president General Pervez Musharraf promulgated his notorious NRO for personal political gains in Pakistan in 2007.
Last month, accusing the MQM of receiving funds from India, the news story broken by the BBC journalist Owen Bennett-Jones has raised the already high political temperature in Karachi. This BBC report has, once again, given rise to the traditional game of allegations and counter-allegations between the MQM and anti-MQM quarters in the country. In fact, quoting some local as well as ‘authoritative Pakistani source’, this report hasn’t revealed any new fact about the MQM. All these allegations have already been leveled against MQM at various times by the people like SSP Rao Anwar, Saulat Mirza and Zulfiqar Mirza. Similarly, Tariq Mir, another senior leader of MQM has also corroborated these allegations in some way. However, terming it a ‘table story’, the MQM has out-rightly rejected the contents and facts disclosed in this report. On the other hand, rival political parties are forcefully making a demand for a thorough probe into the allegations made by this ‘independent and credible’ broadcaster of the world.
Strangely, for some time, the media is gradually replacing the ordinary criminal justice system in the country
Strangely, for some time, the media is gradually replacing the ordinary criminal justice system in the country. Both electronic and print media are being extensively used for alleging a specific charge, and then initiating a media trail against the individuals on the basis of those allegations. Earlier, the New York Times published a report exposing the Axact fake degree scam in Pakistan. It is a quite worrisome situation that our law-enforcing and intelligence agencies are unable to discover such mega sandals and other illegal activities being carried out under their very nose. Now, international media like BBC and NYT are telling us about certain fraudulent and illegal activities in Pakistan. This state of affairs speaks volumes about the general state of law-enforcing apparatus in Pakistan in general, and in Karachi in particular.
Thousands of innocent Karachiites have lost their lives over the last two and half decades. Although the Sindh Rangers have formally launched an extensive operation to curb all criminal elements in Karachi, the law-enforcing agencies are finding it difficult to effectively employ the coercive apparatus of the state to keep peace and order. It is also quite unfortunate that, despite a large number of criminal cases having been registered against the MQM chief Altaf Hussain in Pakistan, the federal government is still looking towards the Scotland Yard to apprehend and punish him in UK. All these fact simply indicate an inherent flaw in the criminal justice system as well as a lack of resolution on the part of our ruling elite to uphold the rule of law in the country.
A person who has acquired the citizenship of a foreign state is simply disqualified from being a member of parliament or provincial assemblies in Pakistan under Article 63 of the constitution of Pakistan. Similarly, Section 5 of the Political Parties Order 2002 specifically disallows a dual national to be associated with a political party in any manner. But strangely, MQM chief Altaf Hussain is not only actively taking part in politics, but he is also leading a full-fledged parliamentary political party in Pakistan. We all know that he exercises a considerable influence over administrative as well as political affairs of the party. He frequently delivers telephonic addresses to his party workers in Karachi. Sadly, there is no executive or judicial authority in Pakistan which can dare to stop him from making a mockery of the law of the land.
Presently, the city of Karachi is in the strong grip of different criminal mafias, land grabbers, extortionists, drug and arms peddlers, etc. A few weeks ago, the DG Rangers Sindh has also revealed that black money worth Rs230 billion was collected in Karachi annually through racketeering. This money is used to purchase arms and ammunition to promote terrorism. He also revealed that most crimes were committed by a large political party in the city. As soon as DG Rangers made these shocking revelations, there has been a political storm against the security forces in the country. Terming it an attack on democracy, the two major political parties of Sindh severely criticised the current maneuvering of the security forces in Karachi. Now this matter has been politicised enough that the law enforcing agencies, as usual, can hardly act against these criminal elements in the city. This grave issue has significantly been eclipsed by the current PPP-establishment confrontation.
Pakistan has somehow managed to resolve the legal complications associated with its so-called war on terror by establishing the military courts following the APS Peshawar tragedy last year. However, despite the aggravating law and order situation in Karachi for decades, the government has yet not been able to overcome its legal handicaps to restore peace and order. All complimentary components of the criminal justice system have apparently collapsed. The police and judiciary in Karachi have miserably failed to apprehend, investigate, prosecute and punish the individuals involved in heinous crimes.
In any democratic dispensation, politics is only allowed to operate within the legal and constitutional parameters of the state
Since its very inception, the MQM, as political party, has been shrouded in many controversies and scandals. At times, fingers were pointed at it for its alleged connections with some anti-Pakistan elements. Of course, there is no smoke without fire. Now all these allegations must be duly and thoroughly probed by an independent investigative body. In case the federal government finds some substance in these allegations, then it must proceed against MQM under section 15 of the Political Parties Order 2002. It allows the government to dissolve any political party which acts in a manner prejudicial to the sovereignty or integrity of Pakistan, or indulges in terrorism. If all these charges are found to be baseless, then the so-called media-trail of the MQM must be stopped forthwith.
In any democratic dispensation, politics is only allowed to operate within the legal and constitutional parameters of the state. Therefore, politics can by no means override and overrun the state in any manner. In order to improve the general security situation in Karachi, the state has to establish its complete writ in the city by rising above the politics and political expediencies. Certainly, media reports, press conferences and other media trials alone would hardly help in setting things right in this disturbed city. If the government can’t curb criminal mafias in Karachi, then it is better to stay silent instated of initiating an extensive media controversy in the country. Indeed, what cannot be cured must be endured.
