Karachi in a time of flux

Much of rank and file membership of the MQM remain devoted to Altaf Hussain, and he still commands considerable sway

Perhaps the best — and largely unreported — development to come out of the events within and around the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Karachi in the last week is that the city has not descended into bloody chaos. The incident on August 22 that was triggered by an intemperate outburst by MQM leader Altaf Hussain was relatively shortlived, contained and did not spread wider than a confined area. Outside of the TV station and police equipment that was damaged/destroyed, there was less damage and disruption than generally accompanies such events and that in itself may be an indicator of change within and around the MQM itself.

Furthermore, the announcement by Altaf Hussain that he is stepping aside to address ‘health issues’ and handing control to the Karachi Rabita Committee has not produced outpourings of grief or demands for a strike and there has been no spontaneous shutterdown in anticipation of trouble either. Although this is not the first time that Mr Hussain has ‘stepped back’, there is a qualitative difference to this event compared to others in that it really does seem as if there is to be a separation between ‘MQM-L’ and ‘MQM-K’. It is far too soon to write Mr Hussain out of the equation as he remains a powerful force, and the Minus-1 formula being bruited about is somewhat premature. He may indeed become a minus number — but not yet.

Much of the rank and file membership of the MQM remain devoted to Mr Hussain, and he still commands considerable sway. Millions of Karachiites are now waiting to see which way the party goes, and the soft coup by Farooq Sattar leaving himself as the titular leader of MQM-K has no electoral or popular validation as yet. Sattar himself in his press conference was careful not to openly condemn Mr Hussain explicitly or harshly criticise him, an acknowledgement of the considerable power and influence vested in the ‘MQM-L’ and the coterie around him. The handing of power to the Karachi Rabita Committee is best understood as a strategic retreat, not an outright defeat.

As events unfolded, an election was taking place and Karachi has got a new mayor, but a mayor with a difference. Whatever the troubles at the top may be, at the grassroots voter level, the MQM in Karachi and Hyderabad has the numbers to deliver landslide victories, which it duly did. Waseem Akhtar, an MQM leader currently in jail on charges of sedition and terrorism, was voted in as mayor by a landslide and his colleague Arshad Vohra was elected as his deputy. The result was widely predicted but it presents the establishment with a unique set of problems, not least of these being the logistics of managing a mega city from a jail cell.

It will be recalled that the MQM were victorious in the local government polls last December but the members elected could not take office because of a range of legal challenges. This latest result adds to the complexity. Neither of the other two mainstream parties gained results that came anywhere near that of the MQM, which has reiterated its mandate in the city in the clearest possible way.

Post-poll, Mr Akhtar struck a conciliatory note, calling for cooperation with the PPP-led Sindh government at the same time as reaching out to the minor parties in a way that suggests that he is willing to start from a positive point. Whether he will be able to sustain that position in the coming days and weeks remains to be seen. Let it not be forgotten that Mr Akhtar was the nominee of Altaf Hussain, and he has been a ‘party man’ for decades. The ‘MQM-L’ has long fingers.

The MQM is a party in a state of flux. All political parties evolve and the MQM is no different in that respect and change had become inevitable. Karachi has changed as well. A more peaceful city? We can but hope.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2016.

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