KARACHI: Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik played down allegations hurled at him by Dr Zulfikar Mirza on Sunday, saying he was like his younger brother and he (Mr Malik) did not mind his remarks which were an emotional outburst.

“I don’t mind this kind of statements,” Mr Malik said.

Despite Mr Malik’s low-key but firm stance, future collaboration between the PPP and MQM appears to have been rocked and some analysts believe the PPP will now be left to itself in the run-up to Senate elections and general elections.

Reacting to Dr Mirza’s tirade, the interior minister said he had been authorised by the party leadership to remain engaged in talks with MQM for the sake of peace in Karachi.

Although the provincial PPP leadership was swift in accepting Mr Mirza’s resignation as senior vice president of the party in the province, who only a few days ago had been assigned by President Zardari to mobilise the party, repeated federal intervention in deciding matters pertaining to law and order in Sindh has generated resentment and cracks within the rank and file of the PPP.

The Sunday’s incident also showed Mr Zardari’s loosening grip on the party leadership in Sindh where the cadre feels that too much has been surrendered to others in the name of reconciliation.

Many PPP activists point out the disconnect between Mr Malik and the Provincial Home Minister Manzoor Wasan who is apparently not being involved in the strategy prepared by Mr Malik about Karachi.

About the crackdown on criminal elements in Karachi, Mr Malik claimed that the operation was across-the-board and without any discrimination, adding that action in Karachi was being carried out only against criminals and enemies of innocent peopleand not a single innocent person would be harmed.