DUBAI: The by-poll in NA-246 has partially provided release to the MQM from the pressure cooker of criminal cases and the shoe will now started pinching for the establishment. The basic reason for the resounding MQM and Mohajir backlash has come because the MQM perceived, and beautifully projected, that the entire operation in Karachi was against one party and the others were beyond the reach or radar of the authorities. The timing of the by-poll also provided MQM to prove its point when it was appearing to be under siege, in Karachi, London and elsewhere. If the by-election had been put off for a few weeks and the operation in Karachi had been completed or expanded to others, the sympathy vote may have not been that strong. The perception that MQM was being isolated and targeted grew when on a pre-recorded video of Saulat Mirza, his execution was stopped, he was given weeks of life, a joint investigation team was formed and anti-MQM material was extracted from him.But at the same time when people named names, giving evidence, claiming to have heaps of documents and files against others including those in government, no one moved a finger. The shoe on the law enforcement agencies will now pinch because MQM leader has already started naming names and blaming the Rangers, army officers and all others for victimising his party while not looking at the wrongdoings of others or hitting at the militants wings of other parties named by the Supreme Court. So in all fairness, if the same style and strategy of the establishment continues and no effort is made to make the Karachi operation look like a balanced and impartial effort to curb criminals, there would be further backlash making the operation counter-productive. That simply means the deep establishment will have to take a quick and considered decision whether they are now ready to take on others than the MQM.If this decision is not taken quickly, there are fears that the present lot of top officers in the army, Rangers and other key posts will soon reach closer to their retirement dates, start becoming lame ducks and will be abused and insulted by politicians, like Altaf Hussain did in his victory speech on Thursday night. So the timeline is all important. General Raheel may have just a few more months to start an across-the-board operation if he wants to finish it during his term which ends in just 18 months. If the present political lot survives for another year or so all the efforts that are being made now will not only come to an end but will be seen as counter-productive, as in the case of the MQM victory in NA-246.There is, obviously, no hope that the democratic set-up will ever carry out its own accountability.
