Daily Times

Following the incendiary speech of Altaf Hussain on Monday night, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) finds itself in a difficult spot. That night was filled with drama as following Hussain’s speech a violent mob attacked the office of ARY, a famous media house, and it seemed that the law and order situation in Karachi was going to deteriorate very rapidly. However, this time the party workers were not able to spread chaos on the scale that they have allegedly perpetrated in the past. Moreover, the Rangers acted swiftly, and the senior leader of the MQM, Dr Farooq Sattar, was taken into custody by the Rangers and the party’s headquarters known commonly as Nine Zero sealed. When Sattar was released the next day, he distanced his party from all that was said by Hussain, and gave MQM a new direction, stating that the party would now operate from Karachi alone. Meanwhile, Hussain issued an apology for his anti-Pakistan remarks and said that he was under “acute stress.” In the latest development, Hussain has handed over charge of party affairs to the Karachi-based Rabita Committee.

In this charged atmosphere in which important decisions are being made regarding the future of the party, there is a lot of anger. First is the public of Pakistan that is naturally infuriated at what was said about the country. Some angry voices have called for a ban on the party altogether as it already has been embroiled in allegations of having links with the Indian intelligence agency, known by its acronym RAW. Then there are journalists who are incensed by Hussain’s calls for targeting them, and the subsequent attack on the ARY building. Moreover, the party has long been allegedly associated with militancy in Karachi, with many asserting that the MQM has the biggest militant wing in the city through which it sways a great deal of influence. It is true that the party has a lot to answer for, and it is time that it gives convincing explanations for all of these allegations.

However, amidst this virulent atmosphere it must not be forgotten that the MQM enjoys wide support in Karachi and Hyderabad, and it is the fifth biggest party in Pakistan. Moreover, it is the only party that does not have roots in the feudal structure of rural patronage politics as its membership is uniquely dominated by the middle class. The grievances that MQM was originally created to address were legitimate, and it was from grassroots mobilisation that the party came to achieve electoral success. Hence, restraint must be practised during this time that the party’s mistakes have cornered it to a very precarious position. Sidelining it completely and forcing it to shutdown would only add fuel to the fire, and may in turn exacerbate the feelings of alienation and injustice that formed the party in the first place.

It is indeed a positive development that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have opposed ban on MQM, instead asserting that the party should distance itself from Hussain, and its alleged ‘militant wing’. Given the past practice of political parties in which political gain trumped any considerations for addressing the issues within MQM, this position by the PPP and the PTI is laudable.

The challenge facing the MQM now is one of rebranding itself. Of course it will have to cut itself off from all of those elements that spread discord and violence. The MQM would have to come forward as a party that has learnt from past mistakes and is committed to the betterment of the country. Karachi has suffered long enough from the scourge of militancy, unrest, and violence. And it is now for the MQM to decide if it wants to play a constructive role in ending it. The entire nation is looking towards MQM, and now it has to show them that it is a party that is more than the individual clout of Altaf Hussain. And as all of this is shrouded in uncertainty, it remains to be seen if the MQM can survive this. *