Making it personal: MQM launches charm offensive to connect with people

Campaign also aims to deal with ‘conspiracies’ to destabilise the party.

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has launched a mass contact campaign called the Awami Rabita Muhim to listen to people’s suggestions and problems ahead of the local bodies elections planned for January 18.

Under the week-old campaign, party leaders and assembly members are meeting with residents of different parts of the city to hear their civic issues. The campaign aims to garner and solidify support from the residents of their constituencies and is expected to intensify in the upcoming days with the party planning door-to-door campaigns.

Parliamentarian Khawaja Izharul Hassan, who has had four meetings with residents in his constituency of New Karachi, said that the party aims to address the concerns of the people regarding the new system.



“Under the new system, real powers won’t be passed on to the local government bodies, with most of them staying with the province,” Hassan explained. “We have to address these issues with our workers.”

Hassan also said that the ongoing operation in the city has left party workers in fear and terror. “The air of insecurity has to be removed and we are trying to win back the confidence of our workers.”

Conspiracy theories?

The campaign also aims to address the “internal and external conspiracies” that are being hatched against the party and looks to restore the faith of MQM workers.

The campaign comes amid rumours of internal discord among party members. The city’s former nazim Mustafa Kamal has resigned from his seat in the Senate and is no longer playing an active role in the party. Kamal has been out of touch with MQM leadership since leaving the country. Another MQM worker, Anis Qaimkhani, is also thought to be disgruntled with the party and has left the city for Dubai.

“There are rumours that there are divisions in the party,” said Rabita Committee member Aminul Haque. “These rumours are false and baseless.” Haque was also quick to highlight the importance of Altaf Hussain to the party. “The party would not function without Altaf Hussain,” he said. “In fact, without him, there would be no MQM.”

MQM leader Wasay Jalil claimed that there are external elements which are trying to malign the party by singling it out while party leader Nisar Ahmed Panhwar alleged that different political and religious parties are trying to steal the party’s mandate.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 14^th, 2013.