The Saulat Mirza Card

As the disclosures made by convicted murderer Saulat Mirza late Wednesday night shook the capital out of slumber with the president ordering a 72-hour deferral in the hanging of Mirza, the political scenario in Karachi has been blurring over further and further as a result of the card played. It is not clear as yet who played out the card, which was placed on the table just hours before Mirza was due to be executed at Machh Jail.
But the result has been a cauldron that bubbles even more violently than before in the country’s most volatile city with almost every major political player dragged into it. Mirza had, along with MQM chief Altaf Hussain, who he accused of issuing orders to kill then KESC MD Shahid Hamid in 1997, implicated Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad of protecting criminals at the Governor’s House. He also said that the PPP had been used by the MQM to facilitate him. His dramatically timed video statement then throws almost everyone with a role to play in Karachi into turmoil. Denials have poured in since Mirza’s televised revelations, with Altaf Hussain accusing him of telling a pack of lies. Similar remarks have come from Babar Ghouri, the other MQM leaders accused by Mirza as well as from the governor and the PPP.
But right now political players may have a limited role to play in the scenes that unfold from a constantly changing backdrop. The conflict in Karachi between the military and the MQM may be entering a decisive phase. What the result of Mirza’s dramatic telecast is to be will become apparent only over the coming days. The MQM chief has indicated he will be putting up a fight, accusing the PML-N and the JUI-F of also keeping weapons just as his own party has been accused of doing. Tensions of course run high in Karachi. The big game being played there is being watched by everyone. For once however, it is a little unclear where the balance of power lies in the city. Both the federal and provincial government seem to be spectators at the moment with limited control over the events that take place. It is obvious that Mirza’s accusations could prove to be the factor that changes the nature of the contest we are seeing in Karachi. It is certainly a dramatic chapter that shines a new light on all that is happening in the city. Where things go from here, and whether Mirza’s ploy of turning approver saves him from the gallows, is something that will remain at the centre stage for some time to come.