Confronting MQMs past

EDITORIAL UP D ATE D ABOUT 3 HOURS AGO

WHATSAPP
30 COMMENTS
EMAIL
PRINT
FROM being a political force claiming to represent urban Sindhs Urdu speakers, the MQM has tried to
transform itself into a national player.
However, while it has made its mark in Pakistans politics and has sent many members of the urban middle
class to the legislatures, it has been unable to shed its reputation for using strong-arm tactics, especially where
control of Karachi is concerned.
Many of the demons in the Muttahidas closet were dragged out into public view by party dissident and former
Karachi mayor Mustafa Kamal when he returned to the city earlier this month.
Mr Kamal launched a number of devastating salvos primarily targeted at MQM supremo Altaf Hussain,
accusing him of working with RAW and misleading the party cadre.
The Muttahida leadership has blamed elements within the establishment for engineering the split. This may be
possible as the establishment was also believed to have been instrumental in carving out the Afaq Ahmed-led
Haqiqi faction from the MQM in the early 90s. However, then, as well as now, many of the dissidents could
hardly be considered clean, as Afaq Ahmed and many of his cohorts were believed to have been involved in
violence while still attached to the mother party.
In Mustafa Kamals case, a number of individuals linked to his unnamed party have had less than immaculate
records, associated as they were with the Karachi Tanzeemi Committee, considered the Muttahidas
enforcement arm. This brings us to the key issue: that of the MQMs association with and acceptance of
violence.
The Muttahida for long has played the victim card, claiming its cadres have faced the oppressive might of the
state, during the infamous operations of the 90s, and more recently, for example when the paramilitary
Rangers went marching into Nine-Zero, the MQMs headquarters, last year. Some of these complaints may be
valid.
Yet what the MQM leadership is not talking about is the fact that until the state took action, the party
controlled Karachi with an iron grip, through its shadowy militant wing. The citys residents have not forgotten
when Karachi used to shut down almost completely on the MQMs calls for days of mourning or protest.
It would not be incorrect to say that the party led the way in introducing gun culture to urban Sindhs politics,
as well as the politics of ethnic division. And accusations that the party thrived on extortion are equally hard to
dismiss, while the MQM tolerated little dissent internal or external.
The political wing of the MQM needs to acknowledge these sordid facts and admit that condoning violence
was ill-advised. This should be followed by a permanent break with those who wield the gun within its ranks.

Local polls in Sindh have shown that even without the coercive force of party militants, the MQM can perform
well at the ballot box.
Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2016