Political wrangling: MQM to up the ante in Punjab
Not one to sit quietly along the sidelines, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) too has decided to test the waters in Punjab, announcing that it is all set “to make an impression” with a rally of its own in the province regarded as the country’s political powerhouse.
“We’ve been planning it for a while now and will go ahead with idea very soon,” a top leader of the party told The Express Tribune on Saturday.
The disclosure, which is bound to hit some nerves, came with MQM leader Wasey Jalil saying that the party was planning on making significant inroads in Punjab, and was gearing up to leave its mark in the province.
“You will see us there very soon,” Jalil said, however, he did not provide any specific schedule or venue for the rally. The MQM has remained uncharacteristically quiet over the past few months, following a wave of political and ethnic violence that wreaked havoc in Karachi earlier this year with over 300 people being killed in July alone.
Punjab, in the meanwhile, has become a political battleground, with two of the largest parties and one emerging party fighting it out to overpower the other.
The ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), it seems, is now banking on goodwill to earn the support of the masses in Punjab by promising a separate federating unit for them.
Already threatened by the rising popularity of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which rules Punjab, is now set to face a new challenge with the MQM planning to jump into the province’s wrangling ring.
“We will not be silent spectators anymore. We will not watch from the outside while the situation unfolds. We will get into it soon,” said Jalil.
However, a party official explained that self-exiled MQM chief Altaf Hussain has already sought suggestions from the party’s office-bearers in all five zones of Punjab and will soon be chalking out a plan to move ahead.
One of the recommendations that the party was considering and is most likely to approve, he added, is to hold small rallies in all districts of the province before holding a huge gathering in Lahore, Rawalpindi or Multan.
“With the winds of change blowing across the country, we do see an opening for ourselves in Punjab,” the party member said enthusiastically.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2011.
COMMENTS (52)
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The change is eminent. It is irresistible. It is around the corner. The custodians of Status Quo are trying their last effort to stop this change. On the other hand, the political process in Pakistan is maturing. Democracy is being strengthened. Political Parties are getting out from their bases and spreading their message to all over the Pakistan. We welcome positive and healthy political activities by any party in every corner of Pakistan.
I see such a low acumen of those who are just denying the reality of the vote bank of Karachi, the city which give them revenue to eat while most of the country is under severe economic crisis. MQM is not a small political party or a one man show party or a party running under some feudal or sardar or elite or industrialist but had turned out to be the third largest party of Pakistan who send true representatives of Pakistan: people who gave blood to build this country, people who came with the culture and economic structure and wealth, people who gave the language to join the country otherwise the land was divided into hundreds of tribes speaking hundreds of languages. MQM is a party whose leader has never been elected his vote bank is increasing in every election.
For those who are distancing themselves from the MQM, just remember my words.... The MQM is the last and final hope for Pakistan. If the MQM does not attain power at the Prime Minister level within the next 5-10 years, Pakistan will indeed disintegrate due to massive corruption and mismanagement, and the MQM dominated areas in terms of electoral strength, will be the most prosperous post-Pakistan areas, GUARANTEED !!! In addition, those who are accusing the MQM of the violence in Karachi, let me remind you. During the MQM led government in Sindh 2002-2007, Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurhkhas (MQM dominated cities) saw development and uplift schemes at unprecedented levels. Violence was down, investment was up, and education was booming. At the moment, it is a PPP led government, where the MQM is being held hostage at gunpoint, and only playing the role of spectator. You all saw the violence that unfolded in Karachi when the MQM parted ways with the PPP. Altaf Hussain and the MQM made a very difficult and contradictory decision by joining the PPP, I fully understand that, however, it was done only to bring peace to Karachi, and give the residents of Karachi much needed relief. Believe me, the MQM wants to part of this government, but they are in a very difficult situation. Pakistan Zindabad, MQM Paindabad.
I might sound a little bit harsh a racist ......to all who are opposing ,I say lets go for quid for quo, let MQM be confined to Sindh and PMLN and Imran to Punjab only . Habout that?
@Hassan,
I dont know your definition of 'fight' but sitting in opposition for a term(not few days) is not a fight. Secondly if MQM cannot 'fight' for what it thinks is right then they surely cannot fight for the rights of the people.
Plus I being a voter in Karachi didn't get any wadera elected, but we do have people who consider Karachi as their jageer's and act like waderas on the street.
@ ali
MQM has to survive in politics of Pakistan and to do that it must pick its fights carefully. You must understand MQM is a pariah in Pakistani politics, a purely middle class party, it has no powerful backing, no income source other than what its members give from their own pockets. You saw what happened in the 90s when MQM did stand up to these jageerdars and waderas.
As MQM survives, it is also trying to educate people across Pakistan not to elect landlords or industrialists as their representatives. To get people from within themselves, teachers, doctors, engineers and send them into the assemblies.
Their is no love lost between MQM and PTI, you might remember the case Imran tied to launch against Altaf but Altaf Hussain applauded the collection of educated middle class youth that Imran managed to gather. He even said that is what he has tried to do all his life.
@ Aamer Khawaja
You elected them. Not me.Not MQM.
You would rather MQM fight everyone?
No small wonder you people look to MQM to raise public issues in the assemblies while your elected jageerdars and waderas just fill their own pockets
i think give a chance to muttehida quamimovement because mustafa kamal also belong from this party and he done his job vey well, for punjab province like kamals approach needed for re building of punjab
@Abdullah: I'm not comparing any personalities and what designations and qualities did they have ,i'm comparing the circumstances underwhich the leaders leave their own countries . answer of your last para is,it is your "ZAATI RAYE".
@Ikramuddin Akbar
First off, you are seriously comparing Khomeini, the Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah of the people of Iran, the President's President and Nelson Mandela, the U.N Chief, with Altaf Hussain?
Khomeini may have had the nation behind him and that's why he could lead a nation. Altaf Hussain does NOT, for a fact, have the nation behind him.
@Aamer Khawaja: I did not say Janab khomeini ruled from Iran,there is a difference between leading a nation and ruling a country.Mandela led his people from jail and never let his people alone, and boosted their morale. I said he led his nation in days of struggle. and yes Israel and Iran are two different things, but i selected them for two reasons, one you had the time to remind me ,and another, about unity and oneness,that you also got but avoided here.the reason israeli leaders were" in" was that they never faced hypocrisy from their own people,i mean munafiqeen, but Khomeini sahab could not say whether all the iranians are loyal with him and Shah iran with his brutal "sazman e ittalaat o amaniyat e kishwar"( sawak) the muderer secret police , were after him. First let pakistan fight with its home enemies., and expect only better from those who are not munafiqeen of Pakistan. Finally my perpose of the previous comment was to remind the nation to avoid prejudices, and be united and come out of living like "kunye ke maindak".,or making "dairh eent ki masjid",you got my point?
MQM is the only party which has promoted the youth from the middle and lower middle class. even imran khan is taking support of old friends of establishment who have strongholds in feudal system. MQM BROUGHT karachi in the worlds top ten fastest developing cities of the world. people who say that due to mqm ppl died in karachi must know that 90% of them were directly or indirectly related to MQM . bloodshed in karachi started when mqm did their first rally last year in punjab and when they threaten the govt about quitting the coalition. its in the history that when ever mqm declares to leave the govt all the govt machinery turn its barrels to karachi just to malign the image. i wonder that people of punjab might not get rid of feudal system and will put pakistan in the worst situation
@ Omer Ahmad, if Lahore is more developed than it is because of Karachi's revenue (which is about 60 per cent of total revenue) was used to develop Lahore. I am from Lahore, but I am extremely impressed by the developments Karachi saw under Mustafa Kamal. There were no target killings in Karachi when MQM and Musharraf were in power. Target killings happened in Karachi when PPP and PMLN were in power in the 90s and now again when PPP is in power. Coincidence? I don't think so. PPP and PMLN are willing to kill innocent people to get votes.
Hasan your point is sadly idiotic. If the MQM was morally and ethically against feudal parties they would never back, them. MQM is rent a party. Tomorrow if TTP come to power they would form an alliance with them.
MQM has now become party of 'Urdu Speaking Wadera's. Most of its top leadership is a group of billionairs.
@Ikramuddin Akbar: In the same paragraph you give two completely distinct examples. Example 1- Khomeini who ruled from france. Example 2- Israel, who according to you came from Russia, America bla bla, into almost hostile enemy territory. And amazingly we can see which is better off, Iran whos leader was abroad or Israel who's leaders were in Israel.
Tell me Ikramuddin, will Altaf also run away incase enemy attacks Pakistan whoever that might be? then in that case we're better off without him. He can save his life, we can save our country.
@Hassan: In short MQM will sit with anyone for the sake of power, criminals, terrorists, waderas, bank robbers. Thankyou for letting us know
First bring your Quaid back to Pakistan before thinking of expanding. On what bases will MQM promote itself. That they are against status quo ? Are serious MQM has been in a coalition government with everyone PML N , PPP , military dictator. MQM is no different than PML N or PPP. Having lived in Karachi for 20 years, I hope no other city in Pakistan turns out to be like Karachi.
@ all who criticize MQM for sitting with jageedars and waderas
I ask you did MQM elect those Jageerdars and Waderas to the assemblies? No it was all you people who elected PPP and PML-N from all over Punjab and send them to assemblies. Why criticize MQM? Next time done send someone from the middle class then you will see MQM working with them
People blame on MQM about their leader who lives abroad, can anyone tell me why janab ayetullah Khomeini spent almost 15 years in france leading his people from outside.untill the right time came for his arrival. Living abroad for the sake of life from the enemies is not as bad and shameful as living here as traitors and digging the foundation of Pakistan.Why cant we think like a nation as a Pakistani rather being degrading us to “subayi”,level . I can smell the stench odor of taasub, here,.this will surely,(God forbid), disintegrate Pakistan. Uprising in a province is already in progress.We should learn lessons from Israel, a nation whose population was merely 25 lack in 1967, .They came from, Russia, Poland, Hungry, Germany, Britain, even some settled from America, a few are local arabs jews, but they knew if to survive, they needed the weapon of nationalism In 6 days of war she taught a bitter lesson to the surrounding larger arabs and their armies.while the men and women fought at fronts students were controlling the traffic Why, because they didn’t fight with their culture, languages, and their heights.They fought with unity, they fought for their survival.and they proved it because they don’t believe in exhibiting their “rich cultural “ heritage.Culture languages ,and colors play a significant role in every nation’s life and are wonderful things to realize but to keep head high among nations of the world we need oneness. We like to enjoy a lot of political parties here like we have (firqa)sections here. We are one, and there should be only two parties. People will label me as pro Israeli and may be someone try to hand over me to Taliban, and on their demand I can make “vazu” after writing this comments but we must wake up and not shut our eyes on reality.
LOL LOL LOL :D MQM better know when they criticize Pmln or PPP sindh the support of these two parties get a boost :P
we people of lahore welcome to mqm in punjab.
we want mqm all over pakistan mqm is only party to save pakistan
Racist elements in Punjab will have a big problem with that but those who do can go fly a kite or take a hike!
@Sahir Butt: Butt sahb go see Lahore which one is more developed and safe. No target killings, more underpasses and universities.
MQM presence in Punjab will be great gesture. MQM has right to enter politics in PUNJAB.
@Sahir Butt: Becareful what you wish for, development in karachi is completely bathed in the blood of innocent rickshaw walas, labour, etc. And as a matter of fact no development has taken place fr the past few years. Punjab is way ahead specially lahore.
@supporter: In short altaf hussain is scared. He's nowhere near as courageous as BB, Imran, or the Sharifs. A leader who's scared to death from coming back to his own country deserves no support. Satellite leaders are not required, we need leaders among the people.
What will happen to this so called "party" after Dr Imran Farooq's killers are nabbed in London?
@Dr Kamran- Have people been living under a stone. Did you not read the line where 300 people died in Karachi in July alone? Are you sure you want that for Karachi?
@Umar
Yet supremacist parties like PML-N continue to rule the roost.
jaag punjabi jaag!
I am a Punjabi and want to witness Karachi like development in my province. I will vote for MQM.
i dont want my punjab and lahore to turn up what karachi has been in the hands of mqm!!
and yeah there are no mohajirs in punjab...bad luck for MQM..=D
we have to support MQM they have transformed Karachi and did very well to govern it...give it a chance, MQM is not a racist party, it has some bad elements in it but which pakistani party hasnt? i recommend give them a chance
@Omer: yet it is has been supporting waderas, jagirdars and dictators throughout its existence. quite strange! isn't it?
MQM is the only party that is represented by the middle class and is openly against feudals and terrorists.
Racist parties like MQM can never gain any kinda support in Punjab ..
MQM is just a party of urdu speaking majority areas in Khi ..nothing more than that ..
not a bad Joke .