Media watch: Mirza's sudden outburst

Media discusses the Sindh Home Minister's statements against the coalition partners MQM.

Media watch is a daily round-up of key articles featured on news websites, hand-picked by The Express Tribune web staff.

Unnecessary outburst

The outburst raises a number of points, a primary one being that if the home minister feels so strongly about the MQM`s alleged responsibility for targeted killings, why does the PPP not ask the Muttahida to leave the coalition? Also, the minister`s divisive, irresponsible comments, promoting an `us against them` mindset and stirring ethnic passions, were in very poor taste. (dawn.com)

Mirza’s open charge

One might add that over time the seeds of hatred have sprouted and become a formidable trunk, as a result of the ethnicity-based mutual killings of groups living in the city. Only determined efforts – punishment of the guilty and an actively pursued process of creating an understanding that the metropolitan city is for Pakistanis of all ethnic groups and provincial, political and religious affiliations to share – can only bear fruit in terms of peace and harmony. (nation.com)

Bitter truth

Dr Mirza was also wrong on another count when he tried to provoke the situation by stating that “the situation in Karachi will worsen and a large number of Urdu-speaking people will lose their lives if these ethnic groups [Baloch, Pakhtun, Sindhis and Punjabis] come forward and make an alliance”. This was not just irresponsible of the provincial home minister but could also lead to a political fallout. (dailytimes.com.pk)

'Bhatta Cell'

This is not the first time that Home Minister Mirza has publicly accused MQM of targeted killings. As a coalition partner, the PPP and MQM are supposed to sort out their differences behind closed doors. It appears that leaders in PPP in Sindh are alternately playing bad and good cop. Every time a PPP minister blames MQM, the Prime Minister or the President act as good cop to keep the coalition government going. (brecorder.com)

War of words

This is the last thing Karachi needs. Crime in the city can be effectively fought only if all the political parties agree to take on the gangs which operate and create many of the problems faced by the citizens. One thing the raging war of words has done is expose the degree to which these forces are backed by political players. (thenews.com.pk)