MQM’s New Stature
By Naveed Khan
San Jose, CA
It is indeed heartening to note the change of attitude and polices of MQM leadership towards Pakistan. By siding with Musharraf, MQM contributed to a wasted decade in nation building. Musharraf gave unfettered authority to MQM to govern major cities in Sindh and run the most economically lucrative departments of the Federal Government. They used the privileged status to strengthen the economic status of the Mohajjir community and suppressed other ethnic groups in Karachi and Hyderabad.
Musharraf and MQM had the opportunity to build the nation around middle class values, however, they squandered the opportunity by being parochial and ethnic in their approach.
Karachi and Hyderabad were provided unprecedented funds for development, people of Balochistan were haunted and traumatized and their leaders murdered. Thousands of people of Balochistan, NWFP disappeared mysteriously and the Musharraf-led government was paid a ransom by the USA government. Musharraf waged a war against the judiciary and the MQM fully sided with the dictator in that extra-constitutional savagery. Representing the better educated segment of the Pakistani society, MQM had a great potential to transform Pakistan’s politics in collaboration with Musharraf; unfortunately, it chose not to do so.
Recently, I have seen some encouraging signs in the MQM policies: they rejected the NRO legislation and the party’s leadership is willing to face numerous cases in the court of law thus showing faith in the judicial system. MQM now has legislative representation in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly and the Azad Jammu-Kashmir Assembly. MQM leadership is now accepting the fact that Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur are fast becoming multi-ethnic cosmopolitan cities where they would find it difficult to maintain political control strictly based on the “Urdu-speaking” population’s support. MQM has also realized that if they use violence and terror to subdue opponents, then the other groups would retaliate with greater force.
MQM’s political sagacity and middle class values are greatly needed to bring reconciliation and to continue the process of democracy in Pakistan. I would welcome that they should expand in Punjab as well and represent urban Punjab, whose political, social and economic values are very similar to those of the MQM. It is indeed refreshing that MQM is willing to shun the politics of violence and ethnicity. Let us all welcome them and I hope they would become the mainstream party representing all factions of the Pakistani disposition.
