IN Pakistan, it has been observed that some politicians, instead of setting a good example, can display bizarre, deplorable behaviour.

Former Sindh home minister and estranged PPP leader Dr Zulfiqar Mirza — never one to shy away from controversy even while he was in office — has for some time not been on the best of terms with the party, especially its top leadership.

Things came to a head on Sunday when cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act were registered against the former minister and a number of his supporters after Dr Mirza raided a police station in Badin following the arrest of an aide.

Know more: Partial shutdown in Badin after Zulfiqar Mirza's strike call

His posse broke open the facility’s door and managed to get the detained man freed while Dr Mirza also exchanged harsh words with a police official present. Before this episode transpired, he and his supporters reportedly forced shops that had remained open to pull down their shutters.

The PPP has also reacted, with party supporters demonstrating against Dr Mirza, while members of the party’s women’s wing held a hard-hitting news conference in Karachi, in which the former minister was warned to stop criticising the party leadership.

Things remained edgy on Monday as Badin witnessed a partial shutdown on Dr Mirza’s call, while local PPP leaders threatened to give shutdown calls of their own if the maverick politician was not arrested.

Dr Mirza’s police station raid is completely unacceptable. As a former home minister and parliamentarian, he should know better than to take the law into his own hands. If he feels that he and his supporters are being unlawfully victimised, he needs to employ legal methods for his and their defence.

The PPP would also do well to refrain from issuing vitriolic statements and penalising his supporters. Dialogue is the way forward, and the party and Dr Mirza should consider this as a means to settle their disputes.

Issuing inflammatory statements, and worse, using illegal methods to ‘protect’ aides and supporters will help no one, while giving endless strike calls and counter-calls will serve little purpose.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2015

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