MQM - A Pressure Group?

The circumstances that provoked Altaf Hussain and other Mohajir student leaders to raise a platform for voicing the issues of Mohajirs in Karachi were such that a ferocious and animated approach was required. When All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organization (APMSO) was formed, it represented itself as an iconic institution for the rights of Mohajirs. The slogan was so attractive that all the migrants of 1947 either joined the movement or had empathy with its cause. Seeing its strength and the impact it could create in Karachi, General Zia ul Haq picked Altaf Hussain to raise a proper political pressure group in the name of Mohajirs that could neutralize the strong hold of Pakistan Peoples’ Party and Jamat Islami in urban areas of Sindh. This became the main motivation of creation of MQM.

As MQM came into being, it started to play the role of godfather of Mohajirs, especially Urdu speaking community in Karachi and Haiderabad. Since it was assigned the role of a pressure group, MQM used all fair and unfair means to spread its say in the public. For the first time people of Karachi came across the incidents of sporadic firing at public places, anonymous killings, intensive incidents of sectarian violence, kidnapping for ransom, and Bhatta Khori (illegal collection of money by threats of murders or by assurance of protection against other pressure groups) from businessmen. Incidents of killings of non-Urdu speaking inhabitants of Karachi like Punjabis, Pashtoons and Sindhis also increased manifold. These acts certainly created terror of MQM in general masses but also made them a hateful cadre amongst public and establishment.

Since this policy of MQM bore fruit and it became major pressure group in urban areas of Sindh, their leadership adopted this modus operandi as a universal constitution for their movement and they are following the same till date. They have literally seized Karachi and Haiderabad and have established a state within the state. Following are some of the features of their pressure tactics to keep urban Sindh under their control: -

• Establishing no-go areas in the cities where even law enforcing agencies could not enter without the permission of MQM.

• Controlling media through murder and death threats to journalists. If any TV Channel telecasts any criticism on the leadership or policies of MQM, their telecast is blocked in the urban areas.

• Words of Altaf Hussain are taken as a revelation from God and are considered as final and executive order.

• Blackmailing majority ruling provincial government, sometimes by supporting them and sitting on treasury benches in Provincial Assembly while withdrawing their support and sitting on opposition benches on the other. 

•  Taking strong political position on a certain issue on one day and opposing the same with same strength the other, to their own suiting. MQM has mostly failed to stand for the just cause; instead they justify all the actions they take to suit their own political advantage. 

•  Invented the curse of “Military Wing” in political parties of Pakistan. To tackle this, other political parties also established such wings and politics moved from table talks to street violence.

• xploitation of Central and Provincial Governments in their own advantage since they control Karachi, the main port of Pakistan and hub of economic activities. If their demands are not met, they tend to block the economic activities by closure of markets and mills through terror and use of force.

• Mass scale money collection in the name of “Donations” from factory, mills, shops and business owners. Major share of this money is sent to London to meet the expenditures of Royal living of Altaf Hussain who is residing there as a result of self-proclaimed exile for more than 25 years without any job or work. London Police has registered cases of money laundering against him as they found solid evidences against him.

• Promotion and support of bhatta and land mafia for financial gains and to strike terror in the hearts of innocent public.

• Collection of Zakat (Islamic tax on wealth), Fitrah (annual charity after fasting), skins of slaughtered animals on Eid al Azha (Celebrations of slaughtering animals in the cause of Allah) etc. These all charities and give-aways are on voluntarily basis and no one can forcefully collect these but MQM collects these by use of life threats or at gun point.

In the recent past, due to adverse unrest and overall turbulent situation in Karachi, MQM demanded proper military operation against the trouble creators. This demand was once again acceded to and Rangers were given special powers to launch an “across the board” operation against everyone involved in disrupting the peace of the city. During the operation Rangers arrested the criminal irrespective of their political affiliation. No other party had any objection on such arrests but MQM - the main initiator of such operation - always made hue and cry as and when any of their worker was arrested.

This policy was adopted to pressurize law enforcing agencies and to show that there are criminals all over the city but every member of MQM is absolutely free of any evil. On the night 24-25 September Rangers raided the office of MQM Gulshan e Hadid Sector and arrested few miscreants who were hiding in MQM’s office after firing on the vehicle of law enforcing agencies. As usual, MQM wanted their men to be released and they have resolved to sit-in at different places of Karachi thereby seizing the economic activities in the city and causing blockade to public routine like schooling, movement of ambulances and people moving from their homes to work places.

 

MQM must understand that if they want to gain popularity and have their influence over other parts of the country they must stop the policy of blackmailing, pressure politics and threats of life to all quarters. They must adhere to the law of the land and if law enforcing agencies have started operation for restoration of peace in Karachi, they must allow and support such operation even if it is against their own people. Use of Mohajir card and spreading hate amongst different segments of social fibre in the country they must send message of harmony and unity. Rule through terror does not last long and has short lived impact whereas rule through winning the hearts is everlasting and bring laurels in the longer run. MQM needs to review their policy if they truly want to be in the mainstream of politics at national level.