Following procedure
A number of significant developments have taken place in Sindh. The PPP government is under pressure from the courts’ decisions. On Monday an administrative judge of the anti-terrorism court threw out a report by the investigator for Dr Asim’s release, sending his case instead to the anti-terrorism court. It was maintained that the evidence on record indicated Dr Asim’s involvement in providing treatment and shelter to terrorists. The government plans to go for an appeal. On Tuesday, Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry declared the appointment of hundreds of reserve police personnel in Sindh violative of merit. The same day Sindh High Court charge-sheeted IG Sindh and a number of senior police officers for defamation. The appointment of a new IG is likely to become a bone of contention between the federal and provincial governments. The PPP reportedly intends to go into appeal against the verdict. The federal government has given full powers to Rangers, even those which the provincial government had refused them. The Sindh government can also take this issue to the court.
The MQM which once again proved during the Local Government elections that it still controlled urban Sind is also in hot waters. On Tuesday an ATC issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Altaf Hussain and over 20 other senior party leaders, including four women for delivering and facilitating anti-Pakistan speeches. Prominent among those being proceeded against are Farooq Sattar, Rashid Godil and MQM nominee for the office of Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar.
What the two parties face is action by the courts. One expects the courts to conduct the trial in a fair and transparent way. As the adage goes justice needs not only to be done but also seen to have been done. Similarly, the political parties are supposed to confine their response only to legal battles. They must eschew politicising the cases or taking recourse to agitation. What needs to be ensured, meanwhile, is the continuation of the system. This requires that the federal and provincial governments complete their tenures and are judged by the masses on the basis of their performance in the general elections due in 2018. No institution should transgress its constitutionally defined scope.
In between the legal battle between the Center, Sind Government, Courts and the Establishment, the future of L&O issue of Karachi is at stake – the basis of the conflict. Sind Government – with its HQs in Dubai, has complicated the matter almost to the point of no return. All was well, so far the Rangers had not touched the PPP Corruption Houses feeding Bilawal House and arrest of Dr Asim – the man holding a Pandora Box under him. PPP leaders are throwing open threats at Central Government and personalizing the issue. The tug-of-war has taken an ugly turn. Leaders are using 'bazari zaban' besides challenging authority of the Central Government. The battle on one side, the L&O in Karachi should be maintained even if some heads are rolled.
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