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 odd world of Rehman Malik

It’s never surprising when the man with a bag full of vibrantly coloured ties, rigid curly hair and beady eyes, the one and only Interior Minister Rehman Malik pops up a surprise for the nation.
This time he has hinted that foreign elements could be involved in the Karachi violence on the basis of the Israel-made weapons recovered from people arrested in the city.
He said that the Israel-made weapons recovered from over 200 arrested people prove that foreign hands are responsible for the unrest in Karachi.
The next day when it was realised that the minister had made a fool of himself by uttering such rubbish, the spokesman of the Interior Ministry clarified that the electronic and print media misinterpreted Mr Malik’s statement and he had not made any statement alleging involvement of any country, including Israel, in what’s happening in Karachi.
The ministry’s spokesman may be trying to clean up the mess made by the minister, but the fact is that Mr Malik is still hopelessly trying to pin the blame for the situation in Karachi on some outside force while pursuing the long-dead policy of reconciliation.
But then again, Mr Malik should be given a break. At least he only dragged in Israel into the matter, similar to how the mullah brigade keeps holding the US responsible for all ills of the country. Otherwise, with the vivid sense of imagination that Mr Malik possesses and his keen interest in science fiction (he described the PNS Mehran attackers as characters from Star Wars), he could have said that aliens from outer space are killing people in Karachi and also collecting bhattas and taking over lands in the city.
The truth is that the Karachi predicament is local in nature. The people responsible for the killings and violence are not Israelis, Indians or Americans. They are its own. Mr Malik’s futile efforts to deceive the public won’t make a difference. The residents of Karachi know better than that. Mr Malik’s remarks are only as amusing as his ties.