Another crisis?
If Pakistan’s checkered political history is anything to go by, the Mustafa Kamal story will do its fair share of rounds in prime time news, there will be much controversy, but things will eventually settle down more or less as they were. MQM’s counter-press conference went pretty much as expected; party leaders showing up in force to defend their leader, already raising pointed questions about alleged hidden hands holding Kamal’s puppet strings. That, of course, will form the core of the rebuttal — ‘someone’ wants to drive a wedge through MQM, etc.
So far, MQM has been able to confound numerous attempts at different types of pressure by doing well at the polls. Even as the Rangers operation was in full swing, and there were the strongest allegations against some of its most senior leaders, it impressed everyone with its performance in cantonment and local body polls. It remains, despite all the controversy, firmly entrenched in its area of influence. And it is not as if the party has not fought off practically all issues raised by Mustafa Kamal. That is why it will play the ‘timing’ card. Why now, after all these years, with the Operation and accusations and sudden death row confessions, etc, all piling pressure on MQM?
However, it is not as if Kamal’s outbursts will go entirely unnoticed. One reason why his startling revelations did not surprise many is that people have more or less accepted a blatantly corrupt political elite as a Pakistani reality. So, even if the former Senator and one time MQM’s blue eyed provokes a manner of progressive soul-searching, he will achieve something quantifiable. For the moment, though, there will be yet another media circus and everyone will be treated to one more round of MQM, minus-one, and all that comes with it.