Well, cheer up, peace comes at the most unexpected times. Muttahida Qaumi Movement has made an unexpected comeback. Its senior leader Dr Ishartul Ebad has resumed the office of Sindh governor as "desired" by President Asif Ali Zardari and "directed" by party chief Altaf Hussain. Aristotle frequently compares the politician to a craftsman.
The analogy is said to be imprecise because politics, in the strict sense of legislative science, according to Aristotle's critics, is a form of practical knowledge, while a craft like architecture or medicine is a form of productive knowledge. However, the comparison is valid to the extent that the politician produces, operates and maintains a legal system according to universal principles. Both the leaders - Zardari and Altaf - have demonstrated with a measure of dignity and political finesse that they are also good craftsmen.
The questions about the Altaf-led party's decision to ask Ebad to continue as governor and its legislators join the opposition benches in Sindh Assembly, National Assembly and the Senate have found their answers in the events that succeeded the MQM chief's call to immediately cease protests against senior PPP provincial minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza's diatribe in which he had expressed deep contempt against the Urdu-speaking community in general and the MQM leadership in particular.
President Zardari, who had severely reprimanded Dr Mirza and declared that "all Muhajirs are sons of the soil" and that the sacrifices rendered by them towards the creation of this country "are exemplary" with a view to assuaging the sentiments of all those who felt hurt, was quick in reopening his channels of communication with Altaf to successfully persuade him to jointly fight a serious law and order crisis in Sindh in general and Karachi in particular. President Zardari seems to have been aware from the start of the doubts about him. Before he could function effectively as President, he knew he would have to overcome at least some of those doubts, and he had worked hard to do that. He has used all of his considerable talents and charm in personal meetings with all political leaders from across the country with a view to diminishing whatever lingering stereotypes they might have of him. He has constantly reached out to them.
Although, the MQM was finding it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to avoid cutting an "unsavoury" deal with the PPP at this odd hour, it had to reset its next election-driven strategy for some good reasons. One of the main reasons is said to be the greater appreciation on the part of the MQM of the situation, which is undoubtedly fraught with numerous internal and external challenges, dangers and threats, thereby leading to a convergence of interests of the US, the UK, the Army and the government.
On the other hand, the PPP initially considered, albeit reluctantly, the MQM decision of parting ways as a "good riddance" because the ZAB-founded party's prospects could possibly get a setback in the face of Sindhi nationalists' anti-MQM rhetoric if the MQM continues to remain a key coalition partner till the next general election. A fragile peace in the city of teeming millions necessitates a key role of the MQM in the governance of the province and the party has accepted that role to the extent that its man, Dr Ebad, will continue to remain the governor of the province, although it is widely believed that the MQM may also rejoin the coalition government if it ascertains to its satisfaction that the general elections - or early elections - will not take place before March 2012 Senate elections.
MQM's decision in the very near future will augur well for the continued fulfilment, in this and other ways, of the expectations of the people living in a state of perpetual fear, anxiety, frustration and helplessness since its exit from the PPP-led coalition a few weeks ago. There is no denying the fact that both the PPP and the MQM strongly realise that they are but the natural allies on the political landscape of Sindh. In other words, the PPP is like a ship having her full complement of seamen in the shape of the MQM. Zardari reaching out to Altaf and the latter asking Dr Ebad to continue as Sindh governor was not one of the several options available with the two leaders: it was their only option. May peace have precedence over all political priorities and considerations - good and less good.