WEB DESK: What Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has now said that should have been said long time back. What held him back is indeed puzzling, if not intriguing - because if some of his disclosures indicate blatant infringement of the law of the land the others uncover an elaborate conspiracy against the very existence of Pakistan.

So now that he is on record having information on some of the high-profile criminal acts including the May 12 massacre, the murder of Hakim Mohammad Said, the Baldia factory fire and recovery of military-grade weapons from a house in Azizabad a quick but thorough follow-up action is in order. As governor he may be just a figurehead, but what he knew about and has now made public have direct bearing on overall law and order situation and national security, and therefore his responsibility to bring the culprits and conspirators to the book.

Of course, all of it is vicarious product of sparring between Dr Ishratul Ibad and former Karachi mayor Mustafa Kamal - the erstwhile fellow travellers and therefore one another's secret-keepers - but hardly a ground to put these stunning revelations on the backburner. It's a question of hundreds of lives which were lost to weird politics and excessive greed and there is also a case of anti-state mutiny. People would like to know how come with governor in knowledge as to who extorted money from the Baldia Town factory owners the principal extortionist is out on the street hawking his new political wares.

More pointedly, does Mustafa Kamal believe that the hands of his party president's are clean? And that the elected Karachi mayor had nothing to do with the May 12 killings. And then there is the question: how come Governor Ishratul Ibad and PSP chief Mustafa Kamal being dubbed as protégés of the Establishment should draw swords at each other. One would think much more is yet to be said about what was cooking all those years when they were loyal to Altaf Hussain and ate from the same plate.

Dr Ishartual Ibad is right in asking why Mustafa Kamal remained loyal to the MQM and enjoyed being its Senator until 2014 when he knew about Altaf Hussain's alleged RAW links in 2012. But he also owes some answers to similar questions.

Indeed, the MQM closet is teeming with skeletons, and as the party implodes more of them may come out and stalk the streets. At the same time, the kind of implosion the MQM is undergoing is much more than what happens with other political parties, and absolutely unacceptable.

It's OK if the MQM has split up into three or more factions. But it is not OK if in the guise of a democratic organisation it had acted as Gestapo and the enemy's cat's paw. It is being accused of involvement in the murder of Hakim Said, the killing of some 50 persons to subvert arrival in Karachi of the then Chief Justice of Pakistan and extortion and carnage of a factory in Baldia Town.

If it is important to identify the individuals behind these crimes it is no less crucial to comprehend that those who are now blaming each other were once all under one umbrella and that was of MQM. Therefore, it is MQM as a whole that got to stand in the dock and receive the verdict.

The case of discovery of military-grade weaponry, which Governor Ishtratul Ibad says was to "fight against the army", falls in the category of conspiracy against the very existence of state, and therefore liable to be tried as high treason under Article 6 of the Constitution. By saying he knows that "some political leaders and the Tanzeemi committee of a political party have been identified" he renders himself as a witness if not a party to the case.

Maybe, to some all of it is said in the heat of the moment. Maybe so, but even then it must be thoroughly investigated so that the culprits are brought to justice.

Source: Business Recorder