One may agree what Mustafa Kamal and Company have been saying is partly true but how to dispel the impression that it’s not part of a script written somewhere else. From onset Karachi has been a city of opposition, or at least from 60s onwards when country’ capital was moved near to a military dictator’ hometown. That created an anti-center feeling which has refused to die down till today. Z A Bhutto’ divisive policy of Urban and Rural Sindh further aggravated these feelings and forced Karachi to move to its own nucleus. MQM availed the opportunity bestowed upon, and ousted the religious parties’ running hold over the city.
It’s very possible that Mustafa Kamal may win more wickets from MQM’ central/ Rabita committees but how it will impact the electoral results may not need much speculation. Script, minus-one formula, engineered defections — all are going to fail until it’s a genuine in-house change.
It’s time for MQM to go through an intense introspection process to disconnect with its militant wing. Let government and establishment resolve those grievances for MQM to lose its vote bank —- abolition of quota system, induction of karachittes in LEAs, mayor to have powers to run the city as other mega-metropolitans are managed across the globe, and most importantly imbalance of power between Rural and Urban Sindh to be resolve for good.
Why don’t we address the Karachi’ genuine issues to de-seat MQM in a democratic fashion?
MASOOD KHAN,
Saudi Arab, March 12.