Political meetings: Afaq Ahmed starts building allies
MQM-H leader’s party claims 40 workers from Amir Khan’s faction have defected.
KARACHI:
A few weeks after the release of Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) leader Afaq Ahmed, Kamran Rizvi, who was part of the MQM-H (Amir Khan) has rejoined Afaq’s faction of the party and meetings between the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) rivals are underway.
Former central secretary information for Amir Khan’s Haqiqi faction Rizvi said at the Karachi Press Club, “We were weak when Afaq Ahmed was in prison and that is why we joined Amir Khan’s group.” MQM-H (Afaq) claim that 40 party workers have defected along with Rizvi.
Afaq Ahmed made the rounds around the city on Monday, scheduling meetings with Ans Noorani of Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (Noorani Group) and Zafar Jhandeer of Sindh Dost Ittehad, who have traditionally been rivals of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.
Afaq Ahmed and Zafar Jhandeer invited the press to Jhandeer’s Defence house to cover their meeting but after keeping the press waiting for three hours after the scheduled time, many journalists left the venue.
Zafar Jhandeer told The Express Tribune that, “A separate force is coming together in Karachi that shares a single-point agenda. Call it an agenda of de-weaponisation or an alternate strength in Karachi, but we will make an announcement soon of different parties joining hands.”
Jhandeer says the groups that share this single-point agenda include people like former Sindh home minister Zulfiqar Mirza, Awami National Party’s Shahi Syed, nationalist parties, religious parties including the Sunni Tehreek and Peoples Amn Committee leader Uzair Baloch. He added that many of the leaders of these parties were not in the city but on their return, the leaders will meet and proceed with their “single-point agenda” and make an announcement on how they will carry this plan out.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2012.
A few weeks after the release of Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) leader Afaq Ahmed, Kamran Rizvi, who was part of the MQM-H (Amir Khan) has rejoined Afaq’s faction of the party and meetings between the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) rivals are underway.
Former central secretary information for Amir Khan’s Haqiqi faction Rizvi said at the Karachi Press Club, “We were weak when Afaq Ahmed was in prison and that is why we joined Amir Khan’s group.” MQM-H (Afaq) claim that 40 party workers have defected along with Rizvi.
Afaq Ahmed made the rounds around the city on Monday, scheduling meetings with Ans Noorani of Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (Noorani Group) and Zafar Jhandeer of Sindh Dost Ittehad, who have traditionally been rivals of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.
Afaq Ahmed and Zafar Jhandeer invited the press to Jhandeer’s Defence house to cover their meeting but after keeping the press waiting for three hours after the scheduled time, many journalists left the venue.
Zafar Jhandeer told The Express Tribune that, “A separate force is coming together in Karachi that shares a single-point agenda. Call it an agenda of de-weaponisation or an alternate strength in Karachi, but we will make an announcement soon of different parties joining hands.”
Jhandeer says the groups that share this single-point agenda include people like former Sindh home minister Zulfiqar Mirza, Awami National Party’s Shahi Syed, nationalist parties, religious parties including the Sunni Tehreek and Peoples Amn Committee leader Uzair Baloch. He added that many of the leaders of these parties were not in the city but on their return, the leaders will meet and proceed with their “single-point agenda” and make an announcement on how they will carry this plan out.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2012.