MQM-H ready to talk to MQM about de-weaponisation plan
MQM’s Irfan Khan defects to join Afaq’s party with other associates.
KARACHI:
The Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM-H) is ready to sit down with its archrival, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), if the need arises, announced the party’s vice chairman, Shamshad Ghauri, on Saturday.
Till a few weeks ago and since party chief Afaq Ahmed’s release, the MQM-H has not held back from calling the MQM a “terrorist group”. However, Ghauri declared that his party will work with all the parties in the city, including the MQM, to help implement its de-weaponisation plan.
He said that alliances were being created in Karachi to establish peace in the city and their party had been meeting with other parties, including religious and nationalist parties, and Zulfiqar Mirza, a man who has come out strongly against the MQM.
Ghauri held a news conference to announce the addition of the MQM’s Irfan Khan. He spoke candidly. “I joined the MQM because of pressure,” he said. “I could suffer but I couldn’t see my family suffer so I joined them to be able to safely go back to my family.” He alleged that the MQM had made it impossible for him to go back to his home during the government of Pervez Musharraf.
Khan said that the reason he joined the MQM-H was because he had realised what Afaq Ahmed said about Altaf Hussain in 1991 was true. “When we joined the MQM, we were made to join study circles and were lectured by party workers.” These lectures “brainwashed” the workers against people from other ethno-linguistic backgrounds. “Altaf Hussain is trying to create ethnic divides,” he maintained.
He said that he had joined the MQM-H with other associates but he did not specify how many.
Even after agreeing to talk to the MQM, Ghauri still hurled many accusations against the rival party. He claimed that his party members had rocks thrown at them and were chased on motorcycles on their way to press conferences. His party had visual evidence from different areas declared “no-go areas” that would be submitted in court.
The party’s chief, Afaq Ahmed, will appear in the Supreme Court on January 24 in a contempt petition about the existence of “no-go areas” despite the government telling the Supreme Court that they were done away with.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2012.
The Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM-H) is ready to sit down with its archrival, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), if the need arises, announced the party’s vice chairman, Shamshad Ghauri, on Saturday.
Till a few weeks ago and since party chief Afaq Ahmed’s release, the MQM-H has not held back from calling the MQM a “terrorist group”. However, Ghauri declared that his party will work with all the parties in the city, including the MQM, to help implement its de-weaponisation plan.
He said that alliances were being created in Karachi to establish peace in the city and their party had been meeting with other parties, including religious and nationalist parties, and Zulfiqar Mirza, a man who has come out strongly against the MQM.
Ghauri held a news conference to announce the addition of the MQM’s Irfan Khan. He spoke candidly. “I joined the MQM because of pressure,” he said. “I could suffer but I couldn’t see my family suffer so I joined them to be able to safely go back to my family.” He alleged that the MQM had made it impossible for him to go back to his home during the government of Pervez Musharraf.
Khan said that the reason he joined the MQM-H was because he had realised what Afaq Ahmed said about Altaf Hussain in 1991 was true. “When we joined the MQM, we were made to join study circles and were lectured by party workers.” These lectures “brainwashed” the workers against people from other ethno-linguistic backgrounds. “Altaf Hussain is trying to create ethnic divides,” he maintained.
He said that he had joined the MQM-H with other associates but he did not specify how many.
Even after agreeing to talk to the MQM, Ghauri still hurled many accusations against the rival party. He claimed that his party members had rocks thrown at them and were chased on motorcycles on their way to press conferences. His party had visual evidence from different areas declared “no-go areas” that would be submitted in court.
The party’s chief, Afaq Ahmed, will appear in the Supreme Court on January 24 in a contempt petition about the existence of “no-go areas” despite the government telling the Supreme Court that they were done away with.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2012.