On the eve of Independence Day, the Sindhi nationalist parties have called strike throughout the province against the abolition just after reintroduction of the commissionerate system in the province. The sequence of events made it quite clear that the ruling PPP did not want the system of elected nazims and replace it with the old commissionerate system. However, when the MQM let its provincial Governor return to duty, the PPP had little hesitation in abolishing the commissionerates. One aspect of the protests is the fact that the PPP could not prepare public opinion for its support, and another is that the measure is blatantly made to appear partisan, a purely MQM demand. Perhaps it was inevitable that it would find opposition in the ranks of those who oppose the MQM, or rather the Sindhi nationalist forces. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of the strike is how support for it was won from the ANP and the PML-F. The former is not only a junior partner in the Sindh government, but also in the Centre, while the latter has recently joined the Sindh coalition. These two parties do not seem to have liked the way the MQM has imposed its agenda on the local bodies, and have even expressed the desire to leave the ruling coalition if the Sindh government did not reverse its step. The PPP should give up these partisan measures, and should take the Sindh local governments along with such measures as proposing the hiving off of provinces from Punjab, and stop using them for partisan purposes. It should instead decide on measures only on the basis of whether or not they are for the nation. It seems to work against the partys own purpose of remaining in office, to engage in flip-flops in the only province it enjoys a majority which would allow it to rule alone. It should not ignore the fact that such dithering not only creates a bad impression electorally, but also makes it a bad ruler, unable to bring peace to Karachi. That city, afflicted nowadays by a particularly vicious bout of target killings, needs neither commissioners nor nazims, but peace, which the government seems unable to deliver because of its flawed policies.