Day of Deliverance: MQM splinter groups to come under one roof

MQM-P’s multi-party conference (MPC) today to feature other factions of the party once led by Altaf

KARACHI: All is set for the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Mohajir Qaumi Movement or MQM-Haqiqi and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) – the three factions claiming varying levels of influence and stake in Karachi – to come together on Tuesday (today) to mark ‘Day of Deliverance’.

August 22 marks a year since erstwhile MQM-P supremo Altaf Hussain made an incendiary speech to a crowd assembled outside the Karachi Press Club that led to violent clashes in the metropolis.

Delegation from #MQM arrives @PakHouseKhi to meet #PSP leadership. pic.twitter.com/d9y9QbDz4w

— MQM Pakistan Digital (@MQMPUpdates) August 21, 2017

Following the incident, the MQM leadership in Pakistan snapped all relations with Hussain and restructured leadership to run the party from Pakistan.

The MQM-P has convened a multi-party conference (MPC) on August 22. Though Dr Farooq Sattar-led MQM-Pakistan maintains that the moot it convened at a local hotel will discuss “conspiracies against the sovereignty of state, end of corruption, and powers to local bodies’, the timing of the MPC implies the party wants to deliver some silent messages to those who matter.

For the past many months, the leaders of the three political entities have held several meetings mediated by lobbyists, who normally appeared to be religious preachers and businessmen.

The subject of those meetings has been that neither of them can survive unless they devise a mutually beneficial strategy.

The manner in which the invitations of the conference have been extended by the MQM-Pakistan, especially to the PSP and the MQM-Haqiqi, signifies that the talks among them have proved fruitful – if not entirely, than to a considerable extent.

“We want that the policy of Mohajir Maqtool, Mohajir Qatil (Mohajir victim; Mohajir murderer) must end,” senior MQM-Pakistan leader Aminul Haq, who has reportedly played a crucial role in the talks, describes the idea behind the holding of the MPC.



Sources privy to the matter say the MQM-Pakistan and MQM-Haqiqi were willing – from the beginning – to come up with a joint strategy in a bid to fill the political vacuum that took place in the city after August 22, 2017. However, the PSP was reluctant to join them.

The Express Tribune in an interview in April this year asked PSP chairperson Kamal if he would go for a coalition or seat adjustment with the MQM-Pakistan or the MQM-Haqiqi given the political landscape was steadily falling into the court of the PPP, he brushed aside the notion and replied that he was sure that nothing of the sort would happen because his party would clean-sweep the election.

However, when the PSP’s million-man march towards the Chief Minister House failed to impress people and the MQM-Pakistan on the other hand exhibited a relatively better performance, it was inevitable that he would start considering the options.



“Mustafa Kamal, Anis Kaimkhani and others at the PSP, however, are left with no option but to rethink their decision of holding back after Sattar paved his ways with the establishment,” the sources commented.

The MQM-Pakistan head on several occasions has directly and indirectly asked the establishment to give his party a due political space.

Not only that, he has fulfilled their demands, too, by stripping Altaf Hussain of the veto he always enjoyed.

“Despite swearing loyalty and piousness, we have been accused of still having ties with London [Altaf Hussain],” Sattar was quoted as saying in a Sunday meeting of the MQM-Pakistan.

“85 per cent of votes in the city are with us and we have ventured into the national level politics.”

The level on which the parties might cooperate with each other would become clear on Tuesday with the presence and comments from their leaders during the conference.

As PSP leader Anis Advocate announced to celebrate August 22 as ‘Day of Deliverance’, the MQM-Pakistan head Farooq Sattar in a statement issued later said his party opted to side with the country and let go a bond of 38 years with Altaf Hussain.

“A proof of loyalty and solidarity with the country is hidden in the moves taken by us on the eve of August 22 and 23,” Sattar remarked. “We will stick to our policy of non-violence and not let the Mohajir vote bank divided.”

Pointing towards the MQM-London he said that some elements wanted to mislead and wrongfully incite the younger generation, but the MQM-Pakistan will defeat them with its unity and farsightedness.

The MQM-Pakistan also invited the PPP, PML-N, APML, ANP, PML-Q and other political parties to the MPC.