Pressure from home and abroad spawns internal reform
After engaging in sometimes aggressive and controversial statements in the last two decades, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain appears to have turned face: a cleansing process is said to be taking place within the party. Since MQM workers were said to have turned on members of the coordination committee, for reasons yet to be disclosed, the MQM chief was said to have come into action over discord within the party. More likely, however, is that the pressure for a facelift has come from Britian after thousands of phone calls were made to the Metropolitan Police to complain against the alleged hate speech from the MQM head. The murder of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Sindh vice-president Zahra Hussain one day before the re-poll and allegations from another British favourite, the PTI chief Imran Khan that Altaf Hussain and the MQM were behind the murder, appear to have forced Altaf bhai’s hand.
The measures taken by Altaf, after extended meetings of the MQM’s general council have included: the suspension of three members of its Coordination Committee, a ban on workers collecting contributions (otherwise known as bhatta or extortion), or, engaging in property deals. Clearly, the MQM head is showing concern for a process of internal accountability, and there is much to be appreciated. Another operation against the MQM in the mould of the 1993 Operation Clean Up would be an unwelcome move and all political parties accused of having internal militias, should ideally disband them on their own. But surely the scale of action and the fact that it has been publically announced suggests the MQM chief has seen truth in the charges against the party cadre.
According to the MQM press releases, Altaf Hussain is apparently working 21 to 22 hours a day in the process of cleansing the party of “undesirable elements”. A welcome move on one side, it is also an admission that party cadres were involved in collecting bhatta and acting as land mafias. If the MQM is serious about the internal cleansing, then there needs to be a permanent and transparent body within the party to address complaints against its members. With the British metropolitan police investigating Altaf Hussain’s speeches and the British foreign office expressing its “sadness at the violence in Karachi, including the murder of political figures”, there is clearly pressure on the MQM chief from his British hosts. Whatever it be, there is no better way to solve the security dilemma in Karachi: the MQM engaging in a process of reform. It would be something for other political parties to follow. For now, the MQM chief needs to be more careful in his speeches and engage in less personal attacks. It would reduce pressure on the MQM leadership at home and abroad – and be better for the citizenry of Karachi.
