PML-N delegation headed by Mr Ishaq Dar visited Nine Zero to ask for ‘unconditional’ support from MQM for their Presidential candidate and offered them to join the federal cabinet. Unconditional indeed! MQM has always been a team of spin masters and U-Turn experts but PML-N claimed to have high moral values and had declared themselves to be the flag bearer of ‘Principled Politics’. Let me describe what ‘Principle’ is; to me a ‘Principle’ is the willingness to adhere to something even if it causes loss or hurt to ones interests. Alas it seems that PML-N leadership has its own definition of Principle, which they may like to share with us.
PML-N proved their critics right and left their supporters embarrassed. Remember MQM and PML-N first parted their ways after the assassination of Hakeem Saeed; remember during the signing of ‘Charter of Democracy’ it was PML-N which openly criticised MQM and included the condition of boycotting MQM and forbidding other signatories from making any alliance with MQM. PML-N also openly criticised MQM and alleged that they took part in May 12 massacre. MQM has been charged for taking graft, extortion and running an armed wing by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain openly criticised creation of Pakistan and asked forgiveness from Indians. Last but not the least, Mr Nawaz Sharif himself accused MQM for promoting terrorism in one of his interviews. All of the above facts have been forgotten by PML-N leadership in their first test as leaders. After all, President’s Office is a big office and principles are mere words.
This is the finest example of opportunism by Pakistani politicians and we the Pakistani public have once again been cheated. I don’t know why President Zardari’s words are echoing in my ears that, “Promises are just words and not Hadeeths which cannot be broken”, and I see that our politicians share a lot of similarities. I am sure this act by PML-N will remain in our memory as well as in the footnotes of history.
UMAR KHALID DAR,
UK, July 27.