While speaking at a joint press conference in Islamabad on Sunday, MQM-H chief Afaq Ahmed said a delegation of the grand alliance would also meet Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) chief, Altaf Hussain.
Rejecting the notion that Karachi is facing an ethnic conflict, ANP Senator Zahid Khan said different mafias active in the city were behind the deteriorating situation. Adding to the point, ANP leader Shahi Syed said that he has no links with the extortion mafia or the “bori mafia”.
Protest against extortion
On Saturday, traders and transporters in Karachi and other urban centres of Sindh observed a shutter-down and wheel-jam strike in support of the MQM’s protest against ‘rising incidents of extortion in Karachi. Unlike the past, this time around the strike remained largely peaceful.
The business community also warned that extortion cases have once again started spiralling out of control and if the government does not take action, the situation may worsen like last year’s chaos.
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@Maryam: "This is a nice effort on the part of ANP and MQM(H)."
Amn Peace Committee of Lyari fame, will steer the Grand Alliance, while Zulfiqar Mirza will be the Chairman and President of this alliance.
Then the city will get peace, peace and peace.
@imran khan: I think you need a refill on your medication. ANP has absolutely zero mandate in Sindh, in fact, I didn't even hear about ANP until the last elections. Get a life.
@Bilal: Why would MQM join hands with ANP? The ANP has no vote bank in Sindh, and are hated by most Mahajirs. If anything, the MQM should think about joining hands with Jamaat-e-Islami, who is the second most popular party in Karachi after MQM.
mqm+anp =anarchy !
The agencies and establishment should show some competence and try some new ideas to fulfill their wish to bring down the power of the real party Muttahida Qaumi Movement.The Karachites have no soft corner for Afaq of Haqiqi who is responsible for the death of thousands of their sons and brothers during and after Karachi operation.Shahi Sayyed is a known drug and arms dealer who has patronage of ANP.This alliance is against the people of Karachi and they will again defeat the forces of evil as they have done before.
This is the biggest joke of the year for Karachi'ites !
It was Haqiqi which created no-go areas with the backing of agencies in early 1990's, recently Afaq Ahmed admitted taking 5 million rupees from Younus Habib ! ANP has also created no-go areas in Karachi like Kati-Pahari, Sohrab Goth and Banaras. ANP and Haqaqi's alliance will only create more no-go areas in Karachi !
First the MQM strike against extortion and now this. I'm so glad our Karachi political parties have such a wonderful sense of humour.
Allah Shafi Tay Allah Kafi. God Bless our city from all multiple thugs. We want this city to be as we saw before 1977.
@sick of this nonsense: You should "think before you ink." The Muttaheda is not the violent party you assume it to be. All parties have their 'pros' and 'cons' but the last two combined with the Amn Peace Committee, are the real problem.
The Muttaheda did change the face of Karachi, for which you remain thankless. Another four years and a 'sea change' would have been there for all to see.
Salams.
Gun culture came to Karachi from KP as every one knowsa that in KP it very common to carry unlicensedd guns and almost every house has illegal guns. We should try to close the inflow of guns to Karachi and and other cities of Pakistan by having several checks points on land routes. A heavy punishment to be given to those who are traders of guns and Hashish. I wonder how a ricksha driver in ANP has become a very rich with billions.I do not have to say you can guess it.
What kind of nonsense is this "grand alliance"?! ----- how can any such thing be called "grand" when created to ridicule popular sentiments. You have a political party over there in Sindh, in Pakistan which clearly has popular support of a specific people, namely Urdu speaking, and since it's contrary to the wishes of some which is legit in politics, you create political resistence and so on but then you perhaps ought to name it what it in reality is----that is an alliance to bamboozle popular sentiments. This alliance of anti MQM forces is anything but "grand" and I'm certainly hoping it to disintegerate before ever taking off as 'grand' ideas of petit minds usually do.
@Navaid: u r mistaking, ANP has mandate dosent matter if its little.
Very good effort by Afaq Ahmed, Shahi syed is saying this from long now other parties taking same stand as ANP in karachi.
Haqiqi and ANP....two parties that have absolutely zero mandate in Sindh. What a joke !
A good plan if only it works.
It would be great if ANP join Hands with real MQM (Mutehada Qaumi Movement) for prosperity of Karachi and they both make Karachi, Singapore of South Asia.
Sometimes it takes a big fire to put put a small fire :)
Hey Yo Yo's ! Leave us alone. Don't ignite another fire in the name of peace. Go elsewhere.
Good boys !!!! shabaash ...
The grand alliance between ANP and MQM(H) is an alliance against MQM (Altaf).
Instead of bringing peace in Karachi, the two political parties viz. ANP and MQM(H) seems to be bent upon making more fuss in Karachi, which will ultimately result in further deterioration of peace and tranquility and creating more law and order situation.
May God save Karachi from the selfish politicians who are the real problem creators in Karachi. Prior to emerging these political parties In Karachi, it use to be a very peaceful city once upon a time.
This is a nice effort on the part of ANP and MQM(H). I think both PPP and MQM should join hands. Highly appreciated.
Oh no! Another party wants a piece of the pie that is Karachi. This will only increase the problems.
i think this alliance would work. both the parties have suffered allot at the hands of mqm. basically mqm has grand agendas in karachi and that is to have complete hold of karachi and doesnt stand the influence of any other political party. mqm is specialized in creating media hype pretending that they are the sufferers at teh hands of other parties whereas the fact is that mqm is in majority and most of the areas belong to them baring very few. it is seems quite unlikely that other parties would resort to extortion in their majority populated areas. it is just to have political goal scoring otherwise no body would dare enter their areas and resort to be part of the mafias. they have infact tightened their hold on karachi since 10 years. other political forces are just trying to have peacefull coexistance. b
This is the biggest joke of the century so far, The two parties which are most responsible for ethnic divide in the city joining up to remove the ethnic divide loLZ , Hysterical. My condolences to those people, who are seeing something positive in this, (since their brain is either dead or so much filled with hatred, that they dont see the ground realities despite being visible easily to naked eye),
This could do nothing good but enrage MQM-Altaf which means more bloodshed and Hangamey in the city. "The friend of an enemy is also an enemy" - ANP should realize it and be more cautious in it's politics in Karachi. Otherwise, ANP will soon become a scapegoat in this Haqiqi - Haqparast saga.
no one likes MQM-H in Karachi.
Would this bring an end to extortion and target killings?
Hmm ganging up to defeat the out of control sectarian parties perhaps.
First they create violence and then make alliances to curb it..strange!!
MQM, MQM-H & ANP are all peace loving parties. Only PTI & PPP are terrorists. They extort with their words, MQM has guns just to protect themselves peacefully and ask for donations that too peacefully.