Learning to live with political realities

The Mustafa Kamal episode seems pre-hatched

It won’t do trying to get rid of political parties or their chiefs through artificial methods. Whether one likes it or not, political parties which represent aspirations of major sections of society cannot be simply wished away, the MQM being a prominent example. The party has been in the past charged by the establishment with sedition, terrorism, torture, murder of rivals and of receiving money from RAW. By forming an alliance with the party after 2002 elections, Musharraf who wore the triple tiara of COAS, President and Chief Executive gave MQM and Altaf Hussain a clean chit on establishment’s behalf. Anyone keen to try Altaf Hussain for RAW links will have to include Musharraf’s name as a partner in crime. Musharraf’s love affair with the party continued even after he was out of power. A day after Altaf Hussain was arrested in London in connection with the money-laundering case, Musharraf re-affirmed solidarity with him by issuing a statement saying that he stood by Altaf Hussain in this difficult hour.

Let us face the facts. The latest move to enforce the ‘minus one formula’ has turned out to be a damp squib. Those hoping that Mustafa Kamal would receive a hero’s welcome in Karachi must be having second thoughts by now. Despite all the background activity that has gone into ensuring Kamal’s success, only one MQM old timer has joined him in the first week of his arrival. Kamal who had promised to form a new party has yet not been able to flesh out its programme or decide on its name. This indicates that he has been catapulted onto the political stage in haste.

The more Kamal is seen to be a creature of the establishment, the lesser his popularity. The best way is to leave him alone to compete with the MQM. If he is accepted by the Urdu speaking constituency in free and fair elections, the MQM’s chapter will be closed through a process acceptable to all.