JUST MQM
Muhajirs were the Urdu-speaking Muslims who migrated to Pakistan when the country emerged independent from British India in 1947. Karachi was then home to a very diverse set of ethnicities including Urdu and Gujarati speaking immigrants, Punjabis, Pashtuns, Sindhis, Baluchis and foreigners from several South Asian countries. However, the majority of the city's population, reportedly over 70 percent, consisted of Sindhi Hindus. Many of the city's Hindus were discriminated against by the post-partition government, and they were driven from their homes in order to facilitate incoming Muslim refugees. Having claimed the homes and businesses of the Sindhi Hindus, Muhajirs advanced in both commerce and the bureaucracy but many resented the quota system which facilitated Sindhis in gaining university slots and civil service jobs.[9] It was this very ethnic rivalry that led to Muhajir political mobilizaton, which was further provoked by the stagnant economy and the condition of Biharis in Bangladesh concentration camps.[10]
[edit]Founding
The MQM is the third largest political party in Pakistan, and the dominant party in Karachi. It was founded in 1984 by Altaf Hussain. At the time of inception, MQM represented only the Muhajir community but after several years, the Muhajir Quami Movement changed its name to Muttahida Quami Movement, thus welcoming all ethnic groups of Pakistan into its folds.
The first political organization of Muhajirs, called All Pakistan Muhajir Student Organization (APMSO), was founded on 11 June 1978 by Altaf Hussain in Karachi University. On March 18, 1984, the APMSO evolved into a proper political organization—Muhajir Quami Movement.[7] It was launched to protect the Muhajir community who perceived themselves as the victims of discrimination and repression by the quota system that gave preference to certain ethnicities for admissions in educational institutions and employment in civil services.[11][12] In 1997, MQM replaced the term Muhajir in its name with Muttahida (Urdu for "United").[13]
[edit]Party structure
The party is led by Altaf Hussain under whose supervision, members of the Rabita Committee (also known as Central Coordination Committee) formulate the party's political program. It consists of 24 members from Pakistan and 10 from London, United Kingdom.[14]
On 20 November 2011, Muttahida Quami Movement formally announced the formation of Central Executive Committee with its members drawn from Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa, Balochistan and Sindh. Addressing a Press Conference, Farooq Sattar, a senior MQM official, told that the purpose of Central Executive Committee is to assist MQM Coordination Committee and the party in organizational matters, policy-making and preparation of manifesto.[15] MQM has several chapters across the world in the United States, Canada, South Africa, several European countries, and Japan.[16] Currently, the heads of MQM North America are former Federal Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Ibad ur-Rehman.[17]
[edit]Women's Empowerment
MQM largely supports women empowerment and has contributed much to it. On 19 February 2012 MQM organized largest women gathering under a party banner known as "MQM JALSA 19-FEB-12".[citation needed]
[edit]Late 1986–1990
In its early years, MQM drew enormous crowds, the epitome of which was the rally of August 8, 1986 at Nishtar Park, Karachi.[18] Three years into its existence, MQM won the November 1987 local body elections in Karachi and Hyderabad and had several mayors win unopposed.[7][18] Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won the highest number of seats in the general election of 1988 and formed a coalition government in the Sindh Province with the help of MQM, which then had a larger mandate in urban Sindh in comparison to PPP whose majority of support came from rural areas of Sindh. A 59-point agreement, called the Karachi Accord, was signed which included statements about protection of the democratic system and political rights, urban development goals, and creating objective criteria for admission to universities and colleges. Within a few months of the agreement, differences surfaced and MQM ministers in the Sindh Cabinet resigned because the agreement was not implemented.[19] Thus, the alliance broke up in October 1989 and MQM joined hands with PPP's opponents.[7] During these times MQM a made mark for public benefit initiatives.[20] Khidmat-e-Khalq Committee, a social welfare initiative, was founded in 1978 which in 1998 transformed into Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF).[21]
[edit]1990–1999
In the elections of October 1990, MQM emerged as the third strongest party in the country. This time, it made its alliance with Pakistan Muslim League (PML) to establish a provincial government in Sindh whereas PML formed the federal government.
During these times, small factions of MQM separated themselves from the main body of the party. The largest among these factions is MQM Haqiqi (English: Real MQM), which was formed by Afaq Ahmad and Amir Khan.[9] It is generally believed that MQM Haqiqi was formed by the collusion of Pakistani Government in power and the Establishment/ISI to weaken MQM and was supported by successive federal governments and the military.[9] In the years to come, federal governments switched between forming alliance with MQM and fighting against it to establish greater control over Karachi.[10]
From 1992 to 1994, the MQM was the target of the Pakistan Army's Operation Clean-up, The period is regarded as the bloodiest period in Karachi's history, with thousands killed or gone missing. Although 14 years have passed since the alleged arrest or disappearance of MQM workers, families of the missing people are still hopeful after registering the cases in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.[22] The operation left thousands of Urdu-speaking civilians dead.[19][23]
The violence gripped urban Sindh politics in the late 1980s after General Zial-ul-Haq's era, and finally in 1992, the erstwhile government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif passed a resolution in assembly to launch a military operation in Karachi to target 72 'big fishes'. The federal government gave the reasoning behind this operation, known as "Operation Clean-up", as the government's attempt to end terrorism in Karachi and to seize unauthorized arms.[18] Operation Clean-Up, which ostensibly sought to eliminate all terrorists irrespective of their political affiliation, began in June 1992. MQM perceived this operation as an attempt to wipe out the party altogether.[7] Political violence erupted while MQM organized protests and strikes.[7] The resulting lawlessness prevailed in the largest metropolitan city of Pakistan, which led to the country's President dissolving the National Assembly.
During the 1992 violence Altaf Hussain left the country when a warrant was issued for him in connection with a murder.[24] Since then, the political party is run by Mr Hussain from self-imposed exile in London.[5][10]
MQM boycotted the subsequent 1993 general elections claiming organized military intimidation but participated in provincial elections. MQM secured 27 seats in provincial assembly, in comparison to its political rival PPP which won 56 seats. This resulted in PPP forming both the provincial and federal governments.[25] Whereas, MQM Haqiqi failed to gain any seats at federal or provincial level.[7]
Political violence gained momentum in 1993 and 1994. During the 1994 violence, heavily political killings were reported between MQM, MQM factions, and Sindhi nationalist groups. By July 1995, more than 1,800 people had been assassinated in Karachi.[9] In 1997, MQM boycotted the general elections and officially changed the previously maintained name 'Muhajir' to 'Mutahida'(English: "United").[18]
[edit]Accusations of Violence
In the mid-1990s, the Pakistani establishment created a group within MQM to curb the party's strength within the city. This resulted in violence. When the Pakistani establishment failed to gain the control of Karachi via this planted group, it began an operation against MQM and accused MQM of the widespread political violence that affected Pakistan's southern Sindh province, particularly Karachi, the port city that is the country's commercial capital. [26] In the mid-1990s, the U.S. State Department, Amnesty International, and others accused the MQM and a rival faction, MQM Haqiqi, of summary killings, torture, and other abuses. The MQM-A routinely denied involvement in violence.[9]
MQM was accused of plotting the Jinnahpur conspiracy (a separatist movement; see below) and faced one of the largest Army Operations in 90's. MQM claims to have had more than 1,000 of its workers and supporters murdered in cold blood.[citation needed]
[edit]2001
In 2001, MQM boycotted the local body elections but in the 2002 general elections, MQM won 17 out of 272 seats in national assembly.[27]
[edit]2008-Present
MQM currently holds 25 seats in the National Assembly of Pakistan and 52 seats in the Provincial Assembly of Sindh. MQM also has 7 Senators and 2 Federal Ministers.[28]
[edit]Jinnahpur Conspiracy
During Operation Clean-up, MQM was accused of being anti-Pakistan and of planning a separatist break-away state 'Jinnahpur'. However, later some senior army officers, Brigadier (R) Imtiaz and General (R) Naseer Akhtar, confessed that Jinnahpur was "nothing but a drama" against MQM for the military operation and there was no map of Jinnahpur.[29][30]
In Pakistan on October 19, 1992 newspapers carried an ISPR press release, conveying Army’s denial of the knowledge of the Jinnahpur plan. The ISPR, the public relations arm of the Pakistan Army stated, "The Army had no evidence concerning the so-called Jinnahpur plan, it is clarified that the newspaper story in question is baseless. The Army has neither handed over to the government any document or map as reported, not is it in possession of any evidence concerning the so-called Jinnahpur Plan. It is also factually wrong that the matter was discussed at any meeting of the corps commander.â€[31] Asif Zardari who is now President of Pakistan is said to have "said in a court premises in Karachi that the Jinnahpur scandal was created to malign the MQM."[31]
Major (R) Nadeem Dar on national channels openly said “I can swear that General Imtiaz is telling a lie†and claimed that he had recovered many Jinnahpur maps and handed them over to the officials concerned; he had sent the maps to the officials then, Major Haroon and Major Nadeem[32]
[edit]Leadership among NRO beneficiaries
On 22 Nov 2009, Pakistan government released the limited list of beneficiaries of a legal act called National Reconciliation Ordinance which granted amnesty to politicians, political workers and bureaucrats who were accused of corruption, embezzlement, money-laundering, murder and terrorism between 1 January 1986 and 12 October 1999, the period during democratic governments in Pakistan. None of the MQM personalities were included on money or corruption related basis. But names of two people associated with the MQM were included in the list based on political cases. According to the list, Altaf Hussain was allegedly involved with 72 cases, including 31 murder cases and 11 on murder attempts. Farooq Sattar had allegedly 23 cases, including five on charges of murder and four on attempt to murder, including the murder of Hakim Said a leading philanthropist of Pakistan.[33]
MQM City Government (2005–2009)
MQM won the election of Karachi in 2005 and formed the government, and appointed Mustafa Kamal as Mayor of Karachi.[citation needed] Kamal completely changed the shape of the city by his efforts and improved the infrastructure like no other among his predecessors.[34] MQM claimed Kamal as worlds second best mayor but this news later turned out to be false.[35]
On the other hand, Kamal's tenure saw the city's law and order situation worsen. During Kamal's tenure as mayor Karachi was ranked as the third least safe city in the world behind Baghdad and Kinshasa[36] The electricity deficit worsened despite his efforts during his 5 year term and led to many street protests.[37]
MQM in Federal Coalition Government (2002- to Date)
Currently MQM has 25 MNAs in the National Assembly and is a member of the coalition government. Farooq Sattar leads the group of MNAs in the assembly.
Deweaponisation bill of pakistan
The Deweaponisation Bill of Pakistan presented by MQM, was adopted by Parliament on November 20, 2012.[38]
