Thoroughly enjoyed ‘Lethal Weapon 5’

Dr Zulfiqar Mirza might not have the looks to match Mel Gibson, but he was as impulsive, fearless and defiant during his press conference at the Karachi Press Club as that cop with a death wish, Martin Riggs, played by the Hollywood star in the Lethal Weapon series of films.

Dr Mirza’s in-your-face approach has earned him quite a reputation and he has a tendency to create ripples in the political scenario, but this time around, he has triggered nothing less than a tsunami. This man has unleashed more fury on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Interior Minister Rehman Malik than the destructive Hurricane Irene did on the east coast of the US, simply with the power of his larynx.

His decision to quit all government and party posts and his allegations, not just against the MQM and a key member of his party, has opened the Pandora’s Box and taken matters to the point of no return.

The chances of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the MQM tying the knot once more have drastically reduced now unless the former is prepared to ditch Dr Mirza at this stage - a mistake one cannot expect it to make.

In fact, it would be a tough call for President Asif Ali Zardari to choose between the two men, who are so close to his heart - Dr Mirza and Mr Malik. But that is exactly what raises the suspicion that there could be more to all this than meets the eye. There is the possibility of Mr Zardari being the architect of this whole affair. If he is, he has certainly been able to get the better of the MQM by using the typical good cop and bad cop routine – in this case Mr Malik and Dr Mirza.

What goes in favour of this theory is the fact that the PPP-led Sindh government’s lacklustre performance, coupled with its alliance with the MQM, is bound to affect the party’s vote bank in the province. The nationalists are all set to capitalise on the PPP’s follies and the scales may tilt pretty fast unless the latter manages to pull off something spectacular to win back its disgruntled voters.

It might be that PPP is trying to hold on to its Sindh card by making a hero out of Dr Mirza, who has always looked good to take over the party’s reins in the province from old man Qaim Ali Shah.

In addition to that, the timing of Dr Mirza’s move is interesting as well –  a day before the apex court was due to hear the suo motu case of Karachi violence. Then there is also the recent divulging of information to the media - courtesy of some concerned spooks - that is meant to further tighten the noose around the MQM. This could mean that there are other forces involved in this plan as well, aspiring to balance the equation in Karachi.

But then again, these are merely speculations. Dr Mirza might end up with nothing except for a further ridiculed interior minister. He made quite an impression, speaking with his hand on the Holy Quran during the press conference and even placing it on his head once, compelling many to rule out the possibility that he could be lying. But what if the Bhai in London counters the allegations with his hand on the Holy Quran as well? Pakistanis would be baffled for sure!

The MQM pulls off a jenny

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has returned to President Asif Ali Zardari’s pack… or perhaps it never really left.

As the saying in Punjabi goes, “jethon di khoti, othay aan khaloti”, meaning that a jenny (female donkey) after straying off returns to its original spot, the MQM is all set to renew its vows with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and after its brief adventure as an opposition party, is ready to resume its role as a coalition partner.

MQM’s Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan has returned to take over as the Sindh governor again after his party chief Altaf Hussain gave him the green signal following the latter’s telephonic conversation with the president.

Now the party is expected to return to the treasury benches in the federal and provincial governments anytime soon.

So the question that arises is: why did the MQM make so much fuss at the time of its break-up with the PPP? The hullabaloo created by the MQM when it left the ruling coalition gave an impression that there won’t be going back this time around.

In a much trumpeted and chest-beating fashion, the party had announced that it was parting ways with the government. Then there was the Dr Zulfiqar Mirza episode that left more than 100 people dead in Karachi.

Regretfully, the whole drama is now winding up with an anti-climax. The MQM has certainly got it wrong this time. Its decision to become part of the government again would seriously hurt its credibility and many are likely to believe that it’s ready to compromise on any principle as long as it carries on staying in power.

The party has blown a great opportunity to prove its critics wrong and show that its first priority is public interest and not power. But such examples are far and few on our political landscape.