Selective justice?
As if PPP did not already have its plate quite full. It still hasn’t found its feet since the ’13 rout. The home base in Sindh is holding, but it is thinning. And its position in Punjab is nowhere near anything worth writing home about. Zardari sb tried his personal magic and it did not work. He tried catapulting Bilawal ahead of schedule – at the time of the dharna uncertainty, and again later – and that, too, did not work. Now, on top of the political paralysis, it must also contend with the Rangers’ anti corruption drive, and the sequence of events set in motion by Dr Asim’s arrest and continued detention.
Time has come for authorities in charge to ensure that the Karachi operation does not drag unnecessarily. So far, the two political parties targeted, one for militancy and the other for corruption, have cried ‘selective justice’, and played on the fear that the noose might not extend to other parties. It was then for the government to ensure that the operation was, indeed, wholesome. Yet so far it has not moved from the south; and it has also not progressed from the initial surprise arrests.
The press, meantime, has been abuzz with speculation that the anti-corruption drive will, soon, come to other parties and provinces. Now, with prolonged official silence, and continued mystery surrounding the activity that has taken place, there is unnecessary chatter. Resultantly, there is considerable political hustle and bustle of the kind that is not necessarily conducive to smooth democratic functioning. The PPP co-chairman is staying away. There is talk of some friction also as the ruling party is about to come under the microscope, and so on. It is in the interest of all parties, therefore, and especially the people, that any misperceptions about the operation are removed and transparency and fair play are ensured.
