There are three different versions of the clash between police and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) protesters that took place in Karachi. According to the police, protesters violated the agreement and tried to enter the red zone, which prompted the police to disperse them using force. The MQM-P has accused the police of taking the law into their hands and resorted to tear gas shelling and baton-charge against “women and members of the Sindh and National Assembly”. In this situation, the Sindh government absolves itself of the blame by terming the protest unfair saying that the PPP never objected to any peaceful protest giving the example of the ongoing sit-in organized by the Jamat-e-Islami outside the Sindh Assembly. The basic motive of the protest was the recent passage of the local government law.
The police action cannot be justified unless the protesters take the law into their hands. At the same time, the Sindh government cannot evade its responsibility of resolving these political issues through talks. It is the responsibility of the Sindh government to take the opposition into confidence before passing any law and address their concerns. There should be a consensus before the passage of any law. The best platform for resolving all political issues is the parliament. The Sindh Assembly should have debated the law and discussed all its pros and cons.
The situation demands that efforts must be made to address all the genuine concerns of the MQM-P. The leadership of the Sindh government should come forward and engage the opposition in talks for peaceful resolution of all issues causing any conflict in the province. On its part, the MQM-P needs to demonstrate some patience and adopt a peaceful way of protest amid security threats. Any protest that may turn violent is not in the interests of the country.
