News
Monday, March 14, 2011
Karachi, MQM and the PPP
By Ali K Chishti
In what is being described as the biggest setback and ‘mother of all problems’ for PPP-led coalition government, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the biggest coalition partner in the Centre with twenty five seats in the National Assembly, has made up its mind “to leave the government once and for-all”, as revealed by a senior co-ordination committee member of the party.
It should be noted that MQM had in previous years decided to abandon the PPP-led coalition at least on four occasions last year and two times this year alone, which gives us a hint of what MQM is thinking. While President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Rehman Malik had saved the coalition from breaking on many occasions before, but this time, according to one insider of PPP who wished not to be named, confirmed to the Daily Times that “nothing is working with the MQM and not even the president’s call to Altaf Hussain did the magic. MQM, it seems, has made its mind or acting on someone else’s instructions.” MQM supermo Altaf Hussain refused to meet Rehman Malik in London, and only yesterday, President Zardari postponed an important meeting with the MQM core committee at an advance stage due to be held at the Bilawal House, Karachi. With all options closing, in a last attempt to save the coalition, President Zardari will now meet Sindh governor while Rehman Malik will be flying back to Karachi to join this meeting.
The recent friction in Karachi between the MQM and PPP started when the controversial provincial Home Minister, Zulfiqar Mirza, gave a speech in PPP’s stronghold Lyari where he publicly acknowledged Lyari Amn Committee, formed by Rehman Dakaith aka Rehman Baloch and whom MQM holds responsible for the Shershah massacre, as an integral part of Pakistan People’s Party.
It should be noted that Daily Times, in an exclusive interview with Uzair Baloch, the predecessor of Rehman Dakait and chairman of Lyari Amn Committee, had broke the story of Baloch’s willingness to contest election from Lyari as a PPP candidate in the next elections. While the MQM understands the de facto position of Amn Committee and its alliance with the PPP, the biggest question is why did the MQM reacted so strongly against Zulfiqar Mirza’s statement admitting the committee was part of PPP now. This, despite the fact that President Zardari had agreed to the MQM’s demand and declared 2011 as the year of local body’s elections. But as a senior member of MQM’s coordination committee confirmed “that whatever they (PPP) say never materialises nor are they interested in any portfolios. We are at a point beyond portfolios and negotiations, it’s about our people’s survival and pressure upon our party from the business community of Karachi to stop criminal groups like the Amn Committee, who are extorting money from them – who are our constituents.” It’s clearly a case of PPP, who had historically never had its own militant group, going out to get one by announcing its merger with the PAC.
In Lyari, the situation remains tense where Nabeel Gabol, the MNA from Lyari, lives in a sort of exile in Oman, and during his “stay” in Karachi, made it a point to spend most of the Rs 300 million Lyari package fund on buying Hummers instead of investing in infrastructure in his constituency, which created tensions between the PPP and PAC, which was resolved after Gabol’s exit from Lyari.
People’s Amn Committee, which compromises of various ethnic factions living in Lyari and is the cause of a conflict between MQM and PPP, is undoubtedly the ‘king-makers’ in Lyari, and without there support no candidate can win from the area, a bitter reality which the PPP understands. Zafar Baloch, the political adviser of PAC confirmed to Daily Times that “they are as much a jiyala as anyone from Larkana – we are and will remain foot soldiers of President Zardari.”
In Sindh Assembly, which, the MQM had been boycotting for the last couple of sessions because of its tensions with the PPP, the latter party remains active. Zulfiqar Mirza, the other day, entered the assembly amid loud cheers and was given a hero’s welcome by the PPP legislators, and interestingly, the opposition leader and PML-F also welcomed Mirza, while President Zardari, in an interaction with journalists, had cautioned against use of terms like “sher-e-karachi”. While an interesting situation developed in Sindh with the PPP taking on the judiciary over the NAB chairman’s issue, the MQM, despite its bitterness with the PPP, unofficially supported the strike in Sindh.
On the other side of the bridge at the barricaded Bilawal House, the situation is tense. A sense of animosity against the MQM could be seen while negotiations with the PML-Q make progress, but a close aide of President Zardari confirmed to Daily Times that “it’s a tough cookie to break.” There’s clearly a split within the PPP Sindh chapter, as two groups within the party are in a serious disagreement on the issue of a divorce with the MQM and negotiating with the PML-Q. Nine Zero, the MQM’s headquarters, remains the central point where it seems that the party’s London central committee had for the first time left all decisions to its Karachi coordination committee and governor Sindh.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk