Muttahida Qaumi Movement

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Muttahida Qaumi Movement
متحدہ قومی موومنٹ
 
 
Leader Altaf Hussain
 
Founded 1978
Headquarters Karachi, Pakistan
 
Ideology Nationalism
International affiliation none
 
Website
www.mqm.org

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (Urdu: متحدہ قومی موومنٹ) (United National Movement) generally known as MQM or simply Muttahida, is a secular organization operating under the guise of a political party. It's leader, Altaf Hussain is in the United Kingdom.

It the Third largest political party in the newly elected National Assembly of Pakistan[1].

MQM is the only Pakistani political party which grew out of a student organization. The student organization, All Pakistan Muhajir Students Organization (APMSO) started on 11 June 1978 at the University of Karachi by Altaf Hussain. Hussain remains its leader.[2] APMSO gave birth to Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM) on 18 March 1984, which by 1991 "established a virtual monopoly over representation of the Urdu-speaking community in urban Sindh." [3]

On July 26, 1997, MQM officially removed the term Muhajir from its name, and replaced it with Muttahida ("United").[4] to, "further the programme of national development" and to carry out "a nation-wide campaign against feudal domination."[5]

MQM claims to be making speedy inroads all over Pakistan.[6] At the February 2008 general election, the party won 26 seats in the National Assembly, and 51 seats in the Sindh Provincial Assembly.[7]

Contents

[edit] Political ideology

Official Statement from MQMs Website: "Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) believes in Realism and Practicalism. Acceptance of reality with an open heart is Realism, a concept based upon the philosophy of its Founder and Leader Mr. Altaf Hussain. Based on Realism positive achievement made through ideologically supported pragmatic programs is called Practicalism."[8]

[edit] Key members of MQM Central

  • Altaf Hussain - Founder and leader.
  • Imran Farooq - Convenor of MQM's Coordination Committee.[9]
  • Farooq Sattar - MQM's Deputy Convenor and party's parliamentary leader in National Assembly of Pakistan.
  • Saleem Shehzad - MQM's Deputy Convenor.
  • Haider Abbas Rizvi - Deputy parliamentary leader in National Assembly of Pakistan.
  • Tariq Javed - Senior Deputy Convener.
  • Senator Babar Ghauri - Senator and former Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping.
  • Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan - Governor of the Sindh province.
  • Mustafa Kamal - City Nazim (Mayor) of Karachi.
  • Waseem Akhter - central leader of MQM.
  • Azeem Ahmed Tariq - Former Co-Chairman.
  • Dr. Amer Liaqat Hussain - Former Minister of State.

MQM is the saviour of innocent Muslims who have decided on their own accord to travel to Pakistan to make it their home. In return the feudal local has discriminated and enslaved them in their promised land.

[edit] Politics for service

According to MQM's website, "Nation’s solidarity, integrity and security; progress and prosperity; improvement in common man’s quality of life; stability of democratic institutions; and the substantial reforms in the field of agriculture, trade and industry, education and health, finance and overall economy and judiciary are the cherished goals of Muttahida Qaumi Movement."[10]

[edit] MQM & minority rights

MQM Leader, Mr. Altaf Hussain has stated, "We consider all the sects, beliefs and religious minorities and groups as equal citizens. We shall stand by our belief regardless of the consequences and we are prepared to pay the price of our stand." [11] [12]

[edit] Political history

[edit] Background

A view of MQM's rally on 15 April, 2007, "against religious extremism and baton and kalashnikov shariah"
A view of MQM's rally on 15 April, 2007, "against religious extremism and baton and kalashnikov shariah" [13]

[edit] Formation of APMSO

A group of Urdu-speaking students of University of Karachi, established a student organization in June 11, 1978, the All Pakistan Muhajir Student Organisation (APMSO) led by Altaf Hussain. The Muhajir people are a Urdu-speaking linguistic group that migrated to Pakistan after its independence in 1947 in the name of Islam. Almost two million[citation needed] Muhajir men, women and children sacrificed their lives during this migration. On 11 June 2006, Altaf Hussain announced to change the name of All Pakistan Muhajir Students Organisation to All Pakistan Muttahida Students Organisation, in an effort to appeal to and embrace all the students of Pakistan.

[edit] Making of MQM

In order to fill the political vacuum and bridge the gap between the Urdu-speaking faction and concerned authorities of government, APMSO restructured as "Muhajir Qaumi Movement" on March 18, 1984 [14]. On August 8, 1986, the very first public meeting organized by MQM at Karachi's Nishtar park was marked by a huge outcome of people from Karachi despite extreme weather conditions. Nearly three million people[citation needed] were reported to be present at the first meeting which was organized by the MQM.

[edit] Contention with the government

Since his self-exile to UK, Altaf Hussain has alleged Pakistan's government of "Isolation, Criminalization and Demoralization." Mr. Hussain says that soon after MQM liberated its original constituency, the Muhajirs, from "the clutches" of the politicized clergy, especially that of Jamaat-e-Islami, it was decided to spread the MQM’s circle of influence and ground work to the rest of Pakistan. "We organised the historical national festival in 1990 and announced that the Muhajir Quami Movement (Muhajir National Momement) will be transformed into Muttahida Quami Movement (United National Movement) on 14th August 1992," he said.

The ruling elite, "panicked from this announcement and on 19th June 1992 commenced an army operation against the MQM. During this operation innocent MQM workers were extrajudicially murdered, raids and arrests made and MQM offices sealed. Altaf Hussain’s image was portrayed in Sindh, Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan in such a manner as to present him as the enemy of Punjabis, Baloch, Pakhtoons, Sindhis and Saraikis. Especially in Punjab such was the extent of the poisonous propaganda that no one would be prepared even to listen to the MQM’s message." Mr. Hussain claims that the ruling elite's policy was to socially and culturally isolate the MQM and Altaf Hussain from other communities, ethnic and linguistic identities of the country.

He said, "This was part of the three pronged strategy of the Establishment that basically comprises isolation, criminalization and demoralization. Isolation means to cut-off a person, a group of people or a community from other communities; criminalization means to present a worker of an ideological movement as a criminal and terrorist; demoralization means to demoralise the community through oppression and barbarism."

He also said that nearly every country of the world has utilised the same strategy against the people struggling for their legitimate rights. "We were subject to oppression because we wanted to change the unjust system prevailing in the country and to free the country from the clutches of a few families. The people at the helm of affairs wish to maintain the status-quo whereas we are striving to break this status-quo. In the past, the country was disintegrated for maintaining the status-quo and today if the corrupt feudal system is continuously supported instead of worrying about the country, then the country will have to face difficult times," he said.[15]

[edit] 1992 military operation

In Sindh, an operation was launched by the Pakistan Army on June 19, 1992. Altaf Hussain, the founder of MQM, was urged by his followers to leave the country and relocate in London six months prior to the operation.

Mr. Hussain and several other MQM leaders and workers were accused of being involved in the kidnapping and torture of a Pakistan Army, Major in 1991. Major Kaleem Case was the bedrock of many subsequent governmental and military operations against MQM [16]

On February 6, 1998 the Sindh High Court found all defendants innocent and found the case as one "of almost no legal evidence". [17] [18] Major Kaleem, however, on February 20, 1998, Major Kaleem appealed the decision in Supreme Court and contended, "the High Court erred by acquitting the accused who did not surrender themselves before the trial court. He argued that there was sufficient evidence against the respondents to prove their guilt."[19]

On Monday, August 13, 2007, Major Kaleem Case was dismissed by a three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi, Hamid Ali Mirza and Ghulam Rabbani for non-prosecution since the Sindh Government withdrew its appeal, and Major Kaleem and his counsel failed to appear. [20]

On November 1994, the army was withdrawn from law enforcement duties in Sindh, to be replaced with paramilitary Rangers and specially trained police. To remove any revolutionary elements from the party, Government of Pakistan adopted a policy of extra-judicial killing, instead of prosecution. Between 1995 and 1996, hundreds of workers with active association with MQM were extra-judicially killed by Rangers and police, sometimes in cold blood. (Pakistan Chronology 1947-1997, published by Ministry of Information and Media, ISBN 969-507-000-0).

People of Karachi suffered a lot as a result of these crises. There are allegations that many people were killed due to their support of MQM. Supporters allege that there have been widespread repression of MQM supporters between 1988 to 1998, during the governments of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. Supporters note that when Faooq Laghari Dismissed Benazir Bhutto's second Government, he mentioned extra-judicial killing as one of the reason.

[edit] Recent trend

Altaf -Bhai with Governor Sindh Ishrat-ul-Ebad, Salim Shazad, Aftab Ahmad Shaik and other Bhailog
Altaf -Bhai with Governor Sindh Ishrat-ul-Ebad, Salim Shazad, Aftab Ahmad Shaik and other Bhailog

MQM, initially focused on only the Urdu-speaking people, who migrated to Pakistan after the independence in 1947. Since 1997, it has started to aim downtrodden masses at the national level, with a manifesto to improve low social and economic status of the Sindh. Although it has turned into a national political party, working in all major cities of Pakistan, its representation in non-Urdu-speaking areas remains negligible.

MQM boycotted 2001 municipal elections but participated in 2002 national election and secured most of the urban areas seats in Sindh province.[21] Altaf Hussain supported, General Pervez Musharraf's U-turn on Afghan-policy after 9-11 attacks.

In August 2005, Haq Parast candidates, won the municipal elections in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpur Khas and many other cities of Sindh. [22]

At present, MQM is an ally of President Musharraf in federal government but it still has its own viewpoint on various issues including LFO, Kalabagh Dam and NFC Award. [23]

MQM tried to change its policy which restrained it to Urdu-speaking people recently, opening offices in other provinces including Punjab (formerly MQM was famous for anti-Punjab attitude) with no success. Altaf Hussain has himself married a Baloch tribal woman. A sincere & honest show of patriotism to integrate and make a secular Pakistan. While others deceivingly brand him and the party as being an Indian agent. A tradition and calculated move by the ISI.

It is said MQM has been a [24] major help to USA in their 'War Against Terror'.

On Monday April 28, 2008 the MQM announced that it had reached a deal with the Pakistan Peoples Party on a power sharing deal, it is expected the eight ministers from the MQM party are expected to join the Sindh government and are expected to take oath of Friday.

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Hakeem Saeed's murder case

Former Sindh Governor Hakeem Muhammed Saeed was assassinated by alleged MQM-A terrorists[25]. Warrants were later issued for Altaf Hussain in a case related to the murder of the Sindh governor in which 9 other MQM members were sentenced to death [26]. He was, however, acquitted in another case by the Sindh High Court from charges of alleged kidnapping and torture of an army major in 1991.[27]

[edit] Kidnapping of Army officers

Main article: Major Kaleem Case

Major Kaleem, who was then acting in-charge of the field intelligence unit, along with other army personnel Havaldar Moinuddin, Mohammad Yaseen and Nisar Ahmed, were sieged by armed activists of the MQM in the Landhi area Karachi on June 20, 1991. They were in the area following orders by their high ups.

They were taken to a place famously called ‘Muhajir Khail’ in Landhi, where they were tortured and kept for seven hours. It was further alleged that conspiracy was hatched under the instigation and directive of the top MQM command. The army personnel were later released and handed over to the SHO Landhi Town police. The FIR of the incident was registered on June 24, 1991.[28]

The MQM leaders were each sentenced to 27 year rigorous imprisonment by a trial court for torturing a serving major of Pakistan Army, Major Kaleem, after kidnapping him from Landhi area in 1992. [29]

However, the convictions in the trial court were overturned by a division bench of Sindh High Court in 1998. But the government had challenged their acquittal in Supreme Court. On Aug 13, 2007, government withdrew its appeal against the acquittal, consequently the Supreme Court disposed of the case and acquitted the MQM leaders. [30] [31]


[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Election Commission of Pakistan: Election 2008 Statistics
  2. ^ Mr. Altaf Hussain's Speech
  3. ^ Muhajir Qaumi Movement's Warp-Speed Takeoff
  4. ^ MQM's Journey From Muhajir to Muttahida
  5. ^ MQM's Official Website
  6. ^ MQM Supports Musharraf's Strategic Meetings with Political Parties Prior to 2007-2008 Elections
  7. ^ MQM Wins 19 in National and 39 in Provincial Assembly.
  8. ^ MQM's Political Ideology
  9. ^ Imran Farooq named new MQM convener Dawn Newspaper, July 28, 2005
  10. ^ MQM's Vision for an Egalitarian Order Through Local Government
  11. ^ MQM & Minority Rights
  12. ^ MQM Praised by Christian Leaders
  13. ^ MQM's April 15, 2007 Rally "Against Religious Extremism and Baton and Kalashnikov Shariah"
  14. ^ http://www.mqm.org/ah-int-edgaretimes-201198.htm
  15. ^ Altaf Hussan's address to the Punjab committee 13 January 2007
  16. ^ Basis for Operation Against MQM
  17. ^ Sindh High Court Finds all MQM Leaders and Workers Innocent
  18. ^ Sindh High Court Finds Altaf Hussain Innocent
  19. ^ Major Kaleem Appeals in Supreme Court
  20. ^ Supreme Court Dismisses the Case
  21. ^ Newsline
  22. ^ The daily Dawn editorial
  23. ^ http://www.dawn.com/2005/12/19/top3.htm
  24. ^ [www.jasara.com]
  25. ^ http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/mqm-factsheet.htm
  26. ^ BBC - Nine MQM members sentenced to death
  27. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/s/w_asia/54241.stm
  28. ^ Kidnapping of Army officers
  29. ^ Pakistan News Service - PakTribune
  30. ^ Pakistan News Service - PakTribune
  31. ^ Kidnapping of Army officers

[edit] External links

MQM websites
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