Another litmus test
There seems a correlation, of sorts, between Rangers reining in MQM’s street power and the party’s inability, finally, to enforce a complete shutter-down. This further narrows its options. Until this failure, its calculations clearly revolved around falling back on its large grass-root following to wriggle out of the noose tightening around some of its more militant activities. But now, with the operation proceeding, far more people are willing to defy its calls. That the party continued to deny the obvious – and even claimed having evidence of Rangers forcing shops open – shows it might still need more litmus tests to read the writing on the wall.
But there are only so many things it can do. It’s not likely to try another shut-down; it will not soon recover from further loss of writ. And it has no other means of confrontation. Even the resignation gambit did not get it the kind of initiative it needed for that course of action. Therefore, considering how survival has become its most pressing concern, it must accept cooperation as the only viable option. If such politics could derail the operation, some hint would have appeared by now. It is, therefore, for MQM to decide how much more painful the inevitable cleansing is going to be.
It must be noted, though, that the party continues to boast democratic credentials that few can parallel. It is the only prominent party, along perhaps with PTI, that encourages the ordinary middle-class worker to climb up the political ladder. And in that it is better than PTI, which still prefers tried, tested, and often failed ‘electables’ for party tickets. It makes more sense for MQM, therefore, to focus on rebuilding by strengthening and expanding such democratic practices, and helping the government with folding whatever militancy it might be involved in. That way the operation will go on more smoothly and, as MQM has often wanted, move on to other big fish.