by Ahmad Nadeem
The first time I met Mr. Altaf Hussain, was sometimes in 80’s. It was a function of a student organization and Mr. Altaf Hussain was invited to co-chair as a head of APMSO. He was late for almost two hours, on his arrival he explained that his convoy was encountered by a group from student’s wing of a religious party in a gun battle which continued for almost two hours, thus causing the delay. I was assigned the task to hand him over an ‘Ajrik’, a traditional Sindhi wear as a token of respect, as is the tradition in Sindh.
Being realistic, APMSO and later MQM, initially were reactionary groups representing the underprivileged Mujahir community. Violence and gun ruled in educational institutions and politics during dark times of Ziaul Haq. APMSO and MQM had little choice except to take the gun. There was no source of funding to run the organization, as such they depended on ‘contributions’, most of the times from canteens, contractors and their members. These contributions from non members were never ‘voluntary’.
As party grew, the gun became as its signature and ‘contributions’ became ‘bhata’ which continues until today. It would be unjust to accuse MQM of completely surviving on same tactics. Undoubtedly the party has transformed to a great extent, purging the gun wielding groups and giving leadership role to moderate and educated people. But still gun is considered to be force behind MQM. Attacks on political rivals, collection of bhata, land grabbing, threats to journalists and killing of civil society activists are some of the acts which come in to mind on mention of the party.
In past years MQM successfully gained ground in Punjab. However, it was lost on 12th May when killing of lawyers and civil society activists by MQM’s gun brigade was broadcasted live by electronic media. Explanations of MQM, as a tradition to cry foul and being accused by ‘agencies’ got little credibility as international media also carried the same scenes. Offices of MQM in Punjab were shut down overnight. Majority believes that incidents of cell phone snatching went down sharply down with closure of MQM offices in Punjab. It might be a wrong perception, but it is a reality that image of MQM today in interior Sindh and Punjab is nothing better than a group of thugs and gangsters. This time it is not the ‘agencies’ propaganda but the live broadcasts by local and international media.
It is a natural process that with time reactionary groups transform in to political organizations and merge in to mainstream politics. MQM had a fair opportunity to transform itself, abandon the culture of gun and promote tolerant elements within it. Undoubtedly, they have enough public support to win elections in Karachi, even without bully and threats. Unfortunately the party has failed to realize the change in time. Even today, threat, bully, bhata, election rigging and killing political rivals are common allegations against the group. Question here is can a group associated with such activities survive in times of today’s media and global village?
Living in past by using threat, gun and blackmailing have become counterproductive in present age of electronic media. There is only one option left, transform or get eliminated. How much MQM has transformed itself can be judged by recent incident when party decided to take on bloggers community. On facebook page of Dr. Awab Alvi, I had an argument with Mr. Ali K Chishti, who claims himself to be Vice Chairman of MQM ‘Professionals’. Mr. Chishti was calling Punjabi’s as Bastards and ‘biggest gali’ on earth, Dr. Awab and many other are witnesses to the incident.
I wrote an article on http://islamabadobserver.wordpress.com/2009/03/29/support-me-bastards-an-open-letter-to-altaf-hussain/ asking MQM to take action against its office bearer for using abusive language against Pujabi’s. Many of MQM sympathizers tried to twist the issue; however Mr. Faisal Sabzwari very honourably came up with an apology and condemned the racist remarks of Mr. Chishti. The rage and hatred of Mr. Chishti was unknown to me until someone went and registered a website www. Islamabadobserver.com. This time Mr. Chishti comes up with a new approach which is reflected from his comments below on Teeth Meastro;
Comment by Barrister Ali K.Chishti on April 29, 2009 @ 2:06 pm
“””””””so whats the alternative?
Provincial Autonomy is one alternative and a long lasting one too – distrubution of resources and reforming the whole NFC Award Structure (from population to share on earning) is another one ….18th Amendment should be accepted and endorsed by the parliment on a.s.a.p basis.
For Heaven Sakes, Unite on Such Issues for the betterment of Pakistan – at a same time realze the importance of threat from the Qutbi’s who call themselves Talibans – our biggest national security threat ever!
http://www.islamabadobserver.com << Taliban’s Website? and PTA doesn’t ban it! what is the real agenda of this website?””””””””””
His dirty trick was countered and exposed by a Pakistani Blogger Momekh and further by Teeth Meastro on his blog;
“””““Momekh – I suspect the exact same.
It was in late end of March that AKC and Nadeem Gehla [Islamabadobserver.wordpress.com] had their run in on my facebook status which was extensively reported by Ahmed Nadeem
Faisal Sabzwari very honorably came on the blog and politely apologized on 29th of March- and more or less gently snubbed on AKC
Dear Mr. Nadeem
I’m really shocked to see that Mr. Chishti has used these remarks in his posts. As a Policy MQM does not support racism or anything close to it. I know that many of the readers HERE might have their own logics or reasons to prove me wrong but I’m clarifying Officially on behalf of MQM. I’ve gone through with the language of the original post and comments, which are disturbing to me and many others, but I believe that being Pakistanis we should stop calling each others names. Again apologies if someone associated from the MQM has done anything which can not be supported.Regards
Faisal Subzwari
Joint Organiser Communication & Media Management Wing MQM
Then suddenly on 2nd April someone registers a domain name of IslamabadObserver.com
It remained unnoticed until I hear reports a Taliban video early one morning – which as soon as I saw it on youtube got pulled down by Youtube nowhere to be found – then out comes Ali Raza Abidi on BLOGAP sharing the link on Islamabadobserver.com
I am suspecting something fishy - the coincidence of registration of the site and the promotion by MQM in ref to the Taliban video 
alone seems fishy.
Then just merely to try and throw a curve ball AKC has the gall to email me and say on 23rd April
“Do you seriously own Islamabad Observer? who owns it? this is bad! :S
AKC.”
Yes old habits die hard, I just hope that the all-good-good sparkly-new MQM attitude is not merely a game face for us all””””’
I complained to MQM central secretariat and had phone conservation with Mr. Anees Advocate. He was not only polite and humble but he also condemned the dirty act of cloning of Islamabad Observer Blog. What surprised me that he refused to recognize any Ali K Chishti to be office bearer of MQM or even the existence of any ‘Professionals Wing’ in MQM of which Mr. Chsishti claims to be Vice Chairman. However he promised me to investigate if any ‘Chishti’ existed as MQM office bearer. This brings us back to the recently held ‘All Pakistan Bloggers Conference’ in Karachi where Mr. Chishti participated as an office bearer of MQM professionals along with Dr. Farooque Sattar, a minister of MQM.
Once again we are in same cycle. This time bloggers are the target and MQM is the player. Cloning websites and extending threats. The same old story of threats, bully and cover up. Will it really work? I doubt. It did not work for Musharraf who had more guns under his control. It had never worked in history. Will MQM be able to silence media, blogs and control electronic world? Today MQM is on same cross road which decides the fate of such organizations.
Every 12th of May will earn more public hatred. Every effort to bully media and clone blogs will result in to more criticism. Each curse and name calling on other ethnicities will result in to more isolation. There is only one way forward. Transform in to a political party and learn tolerance. Clean itself from racist, gun wielding and intolerant elements which are earning isolation for the group. Otherwise an isolated group of gunmen has never existed for too long. Transform or vanish. Tricks, cover-ups, cloning and bully is not going to work in present times.
MQM is one to choose her own future.
Sounds like a good topic for ‘Wired and Active” program on Dawn News. They should expose the MQM propaganda brigade online.
Shame on these thugs.
Shame on you “Ghost of TK” promoting MQM Propaganda!!
See my comments in article:
http://pkpolitics.com/2009/04/23/how-to-clear-the-mess/
At that time I just guessed that “islamabadobserver” is a MQM Propaganda site
but now we have an evidence!!!
well… I think MQM is finding difficult to deceive people in this electronic age… so they have decided to take on the media and blogger community……. but this time they really need to decide… either they start acting sensibly or keep getting exposed… obviously they have succeeded in quietening the media but bloggers is totally different story… you can not threaten to kill some one if he is not using his real name… can you? if you cant identify, you can not quieten him ……… so this time their gunda tactics will finally not work….
M Q M is myth or reality ?
Unfortunately it is a reality….
i think these bhatta khors are quite upset and using these dirty and cheap tricks.
We all know the open stories about Altaf/RAW links. And still he is under their influence. We can say that through Altaf/MQM, RAW is controlling karachi. Why all these suicide attackers are going in punjab and not in karachi? Cuz the head of these suiciders Betuallah Masood is also indirectly working with RAW. And they know that karachi is already in their hands and now they want to destablize punjab. Allah bless Pakistan.
@shujaat Ali!
They are not heading to Karachi because kaloo’s personal army has done very well of eliminating the lives of karachians.
http://www.ummatpublication.com/2009/05/01/story1.html
When poitics and daily living get saparated from ethics and traditional moral standards, these are the likely results.
No solution but return to tell the truth and listen to it. Allah save Pakiostan
Presently MQM is in problums in due course when local body election in comming days and theycant win majority in Karachi due to no support from highups. Present local gov of sindh belongs to PPPP and also in center. Without rigging they cant took majority in Karachi and Hydrabad cities etc.
Yes they can majority in the center of Karachi only. Every person who leave in Karachi know that all urdu speaking are not MQM loyals and they are in other political and relegious lovals and as well as all the sindhi speaking/punjabi/balochi/mianwali/khachhi/gujrati and seraiki and Pastoon speaking are more than 65% are in Karachi. now only 35% urdu speaking and out of them 10 to 20% max they are loyal or supporter of MQM. by relative or area and by gun or theats reasons.
If fair election and only municipal councellor for every 5000 voters to be held in karachi and one voter one vote basis. and than see only out of 2500 conceller MQM max win 400 seats out of 2500.
I my view the time of death or end is in due time of MQM
ALLAH NIGEH BAN
@all mqm chickens,
mqm: m= main, q:=qatal, m= main, this is slogans of a mice who is hiding in a cave at london , MAIN QATAL MAIN, MQM,
MQM are rotten eggs, deaf and dumb just keep listening ur uloo on telephone. aisay sun rahay hothay hain jaisy hadees sun rain hain, he dacoo keeps barking barking. come to pakistan and lead ur lholay langray deaf and dumb putlay.
IMRAN KHAN ZINDA BAAD, TRUE LEADER OUR HERO OUR SHEER TIGER
some caparison between a leader and kali mata( altafa dacoo)
IMRAN KHAN= ALTAFA DACOO
SHEER = BAKRI ( GOAT)
BRAVE = COWARD LIKE MICE)
HERO = ZERO
handsome = bhaloo
HONEST = BHATHA KHOOR
LOYAL = DAGHA BAAZ, DHOKHAY BAAZ
WHOLE PAKISTAN LOVE HIM = WHOLE PAKISTAN HATE HIM( small buch of foolish like him)
this was the small camparison between a great leader captain and a traitor
where do u stand bhata khoroo
kali mata kay bachay come to pakistan, urs chickens needs you
SHAME ON YOU FOR KILLING INNOCENTS
@pak_78626
may I add few at least:
Good man= Kala NAG
Professional= Choor
Public servant= Kali mata – (needs human blood)
Build Hospital= build corruption tower
Kya koi mujhe bata sakta hai, ke altaf hussain pakistan aa kar politics kyon nahi karta?
jo lecture wo phone per logon ko deta hain, wo yaha a kar kyon nahi deta. agar wo real leader hai, to leader apni jaan se ziada apni awam se pyar karte hain.
ye kaise leader hai, jo khud to london main sakoon ki zindgi guzar raha hai, aur yaha awam bhooke marr rahe hain.
aur wo party ko aik dictor ki tarha kyon chala raha hai, kya ko koi mulana hai, ke us ke ilawa koi pary ka chairman nahi ba sakta.
as a pakistani i feel shame when som people says, altaf is a political leader.
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