‘Cordial relations between ANP, MQM are a good omen’
Leaders of both the parties feel they have stakes in the city.
PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
Karachi’s two arch rivals - the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Awami National Party (ANP) - have decided that it’s better to work together than against each other to save the city.
After six years of allegations and blame games, the MQM and ANP relations took a positive turn when leaders from both the parties attended the funerals of MQM’s Manzar Imam and ANP’s Bashir Bilour. The Pashtun community in the city hails this move - believing that this is a good omen for the working class.“The revival of good relations between the MQM and the ANP in Karachi will help improve the deteriorating security situation of the city,” believes Ziaur Rehman, a Karachi-based security analyst and researcher. “TTP [Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan] militants killed dozens of Pashtun elders and political figures who would travel from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to Karachi, whenever the ethno-political tensions rose in the city,” he observes.
According to Rehman, the law and order situation in the city has changed now that there are more sectarian killings. Even militant elements have established strongholds in the city, which goes completely against the interests of both the ANP and the MQM, he adds.
Referring to Pakistan’s security report by the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies, Rehman points out that politically motivated killings and clashes were a major cause of insecurity and bloodshed in Karachi last year. Nearly 275 lives were lost in 176 incidents of ethno-political violence and as many as 144 people were wounded.
“Harmony among the two will no doubt benefit the poor Pashtuns of the city who have almost lost their business and jobs in Karachi,” hopes Qasim Jan, a Pashtun community leader and Pakhtun Thinkers Forum chairperson. He believes that the two parties can reduce violence by 60 per cent if they keep good relations.
Leaders of both parties also agree that they have a common stance against religious extremism. MQM’s Khawaja Izharul Hassan tells The Express Tribune that they have two objectives - economic stability and religious moderation - and they have a “natural alliance” on these concepts with the ANP. Ethnic divisions in Karachi were “intentionally planned somewhere else, and our ANP brothers in Sindh understood late”, Hassan says.
“Karachi is an important city and we should not give space to those elements that are against the ANP, the MQM or the PPP.” Hassan warns. The ANP should have the same policy for peace, both in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi, he suggests.
ANP’s Bashir Jan felt that despite their political differences with the MQM, they do have a common enemy. He accepts than ethnic violence has gone down since dialogues between the MQM and the ANP began. He points out how different the reactions were after the death of MQM MPA Raza Haider in 2010 and then after Manzar Imam’s death earlier this month.
Nevertheless, people are still being killed even if the parties are no longer fighting.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2013.
Karachi’s two arch rivals - the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Awami National Party (ANP) - have decided that it’s better to work together than against each other to save the city.
After six years of allegations and blame games, the MQM and ANP relations took a positive turn when leaders from both the parties attended the funerals of MQM’s Manzar Imam and ANP’s Bashir Bilour. The Pashtun community in the city hails this move - believing that this is a good omen for the working class.“The revival of good relations between the MQM and the ANP in Karachi will help improve the deteriorating security situation of the city,” believes Ziaur Rehman, a Karachi-based security analyst and researcher. “TTP [Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan] militants killed dozens of Pashtun elders and political figures who would travel from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to Karachi, whenever the ethno-political tensions rose in the city,” he observes.
According to Rehman, the law and order situation in the city has changed now that there are more sectarian killings. Even militant elements have established strongholds in the city, which goes completely against the interests of both the ANP and the MQM, he adds.
Referring to Pakistan’s security report by the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies, Rehman points out that politically motivated killings and clashes were a major cause of insecurity and bloodshed in Karachi last year. Nearly 275 lives were lost in 176 incidents of ethno-political violence and as many as 144 people were wounded.
“Harmony among the two will no doubt benefit the poor Pashtuns of the city who have almost lost their business and jobs in Karachi,” hopes Qasim Jan, a Pashtun community leader and Pakhtun Thinkers Forum chairperson. He believes that the two parties can reduce violence by 60 per cent if they keep good relations.
Leaders of both parties also agree that they have a common stance against religious extremism. MQM’s Khawaja Izharul Hassan tells The Express Tribune that they have two objectives - economic stability and religious moderation - and they have a “natural alliance” on these concepts with the ANP. Ethnic divisions in Karachi were “intentionally planned somewhere else, and our ANP brothers in Sindh understood late”, Hassan says.
“Karachi is an important city and we should not give space to those elements that are against the ANP, the MQM or the PPP.” Hassan warns. The ANP should have the same policy for peace, both in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi, he suggests.
ANP’s Bashir Jan felt that despite their political differences with the MQM, they do have a common enemy. He accepts than ethnic violence has gone down since dialogues between the MQM and the ANP began. He points out how different the reactions were after the death of MQM MPA Raza Haider in 2010 and then after Manzar Imam’s death earlier this month.
Nevertheless, people are still being killed even if the parties are no longer fighting.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2013.