MQM And The Game Of Throne!

 

Babar Sattar`s entire column published in Dawn (http://www.dawn.com/news/1163854/game-of-thrones)  is mainly based on the JIT (Joint Interrogation Team) report over the Baldia factory incident in which over 250 people lost their lives. Whatever direct and indirect accusations he put on MQM seems to be nothing, but a true example of a “read and write” story. From accusing MQM of being behind the factory fire incident to the creating smog of fear in Karachi, all emanate from the same report.     

First of all, for Babar Sattar`s kind information, MQM did not show its “emotional” reaction to the JIT report maligning it, but over the politically maligning its leadership by its rivals as well as from the Pakistani media referring to the same report that was based merely on a hearsay.

Secondly, an accused is provided full liberty not only to deny the charges against him, but also to challenge them. This is what all the law-abiding people believe and follow. However, Babar Sattar criticized MQM just over refuting the allegation and pointing out to the loopholes present in the JIT report. Is that what suits to a lawyer who claims to be impartial and have struggled for rule of law in the country? Further, when the universally accepted and followed maxim, i.e.,“An accused is assumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in the court of law” can be valid for all Babar Sattar`s all clients, why does he not want to let it apply to MQM as well in the JIT report which is totally based on a hearsay? Does the credibility of this JIT report not automatically get badly damaged when the Pakistani government itself has formed a new interrogation team to probe the claims further?

According to the Baldia factory fire JIT report, the suspect claimed that he had obtained all this information (the entire story) from someone else. In other words, the suspects (who consequently even does not deserve to be called a suspect from legal point of view) neither himself was involved in the alleged act of setting the factory on fire, nor did he witness anyone else being involved in such an activity. He just heard from someone that the factory was deliberately put on fire. That is what Mr. Sattar himself accepted in his write up saying, “This JIT report has no evidentiary value for the Baldia case as Rizwan Qureshi’s (the suspect) statement is based on hearsay. Everyone must be presumed innocent until proven guilty and MQM is right in asserting that its media trial on the basis of such report is unfair”. In the light of all this, is it fair to paint MQM as the one responsible of the horrible tragedy in which it has not been confirmed yet if it was merely an incident or a deliberate act of crime?

There was one very important revelation that Barbar Sattar made in his column while criticizing MQM. He said, “This latest JIT report will only be used as a bargaining chip by other players to negotiate with the MQM before being forgotten”. In the same way, he made one more similar comment about the role of the military establishment saying, “If it did or does, such information or possession will only be used as a bargaining chip in the game of thrones our power elites play and not to do the right thing”.

It is on record that from the military operation of 1992 to the presently in-progress targeted action, there have been countless operations launched in Karachi in the name of restoring peace. It is also fact that MQM, which always extended its full political support to these actions for peace in the city, was exclusively targeted by the law-enforcement agencies. As a result, thousands of MQM`s workers and voters were killed by way of extra-judicial killings as well as in very dubious target killings despite the presence of the law-enforcement agencies. Although MQM claimed that it was being targeted just because of not being a part of the establishment`s foul play in the Pakistani politics, no one gave an ear to it at all.

Now, considering the dirty game (of throne) being played in Karachi against MQM, can it be claimed anymore that the targeted actions are indiscriminate and their operators (players of the game) are unbiased? At least over two decades-prevailing seize & search operations in MQM`s constituencies, arrests of its supporters, in-custody confessions and even receiving the brutally tortured dead bodies of Urdu speaking people after their arrests clearly prove that not an operation to restore peace, but an evil game is being played against the popular party of the city and its followers.

Consequently, is there any credibility left in the courts` judgments given under the influence of the elite power of the country which is busy in playing a game? The Supreme Court`s judgment given in the Karachi violence case (accusing some political parties including MQM of having militant wings) is the true reflection of the same as it was given not after arguments, counter arguments and producing supporting evidences from the both sides, but on the basis of the claims, reports and the briefings given to the judges in their chamber privately?

Babar Sattar, as a lawyer, should tell people referring to the Constitution of Pakistan if this a punishable crime of a political party not to follow the military establishment`s foul plays in country`s politics and also to keep speaking against the policy of Talibanizing (radicalizing) Pakistan? What else should it be called if not the victimization of MQM by the state authorities in order to bring it under pressure? Does the Constitution of Pakistan or any of its prevailing laws allow the authorities to play a game with a specific political party and a community? Is that not a sheer violation of the human rights of the people who have been voting for MQM for decades?

Very unfortunately, no one, including Babar Sattar, comes up to speaks against the establishment`s evil game going on in Karachi in name of “bringing the culprits to justice”. Thousands of people belonging to MQM and Urdu speaking community have already become the victims of the viciously enforced brutality by the game players of the state. Whether their silence is the result of smog of fear created by ruling elite or it is the output of their political and ethnic differences with MQM, the history would hold them liable too as aiders and abettors in the crimes against humanity.