Daily Times

It seems that the government and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) have become even more resolute against all types of crime and militancy in the country. There are clear indications that decisive action is being taken against miscreants without bowing to any political pressure. The resolve was reiterated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday when he was given a briefing by the Rangers about the law and order situation in Karachi. The manner in which he conducted his tour of Karachi revealed the government’s approach to the present situation in the city. A large scale military-led operation is going on in Karachi against criminals. At last, a civil-military consensus has been built on the cleansing of the country. The mistakes of the past regimes that put the country on the verge of collapse cannot be repeated. The dangers of militancy were posing a threat to the country’s integrity and needed to be checked once and for all. All these threats and the horrible incidents of terror led to the launch of a decisive battle in the form of Operation Zarb-e-Azb that should have been initiated long ago. After the start of this decisive battle, a backlash from the terrorists scattered in the restive regions as well as urban areas was inevitable. In order to defeat the miscreants, a National Action Plan was formulated and almost all political parties supported it. The ongoing operation is aimed at restoring peace in the biggest commercial hub of Pakistan. Karachi is being ruled by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). The MQM enjoys a monopoly in Karachi allegedly through the use of its militant wing. Due to the linkages of criminals with the MQM, the LEAs had to take stern action against such elements within the party. The MQM believes that it is being targeted under the garb of the Karachi operation and being pushed to the wall.

The operation in Karachi has resulted in a considerable decline in target killings and other crimes. That is the reason the premier has given the go-ahead to the second phase of the operation with a bigger scope to target those who back criminals and target killers. After the Rangers’ raid on Nine Zero, a rift arose between the PML-N and MQM. It became more evident when the prime minister refused to meet a delegation from the MQM. Interestingly, Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad and Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who belong to the MQM and PPP respectively, were not invited to attend the briefing on the law and order situation in Karachi. The PPP is also accused of having links with criminals and a militant wing. The reduction in the crime rate shows that the action against the MQM is yielding results. After the statement of Saulat Mirza, fingers of accusation are being pointed at the leadership of the MQM. Amid this political drama, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan has jumped into the fray. He severely criticised the beleaguered MQM. He also announced to stage a huge rally in Karachi in order to ‘defeat Altaf Hussain’.
The operation is going on to cleanse Karachi while the MQM is terming it political victimisation. The operation was inevitable due to the law and order situation in Karachi. Despite the fact that the intelligence-led operation this time is more precise, the MQM termed the Rangers’ action unjustified. The Rangers have already arrested some members of MQM’s ‘militant wing’ in the first phase while in the second phase they will target influential leaders involved in target killings, extortion and other crimes. The MQM needs to understand that the ongoing operation is being carried out against criminals and terrorists while the LEAs are more resolute this time that they will carry out their task without any political pressure. It is essential for the MQM that it should distance itself from its militant wing if there is any, otherwise it must be ready to face more discomfiture. *