‘Establishment nurturing conservative parties like PTI and JI’

An interview with Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif

Isolating MQM will backfire

There’s hardly a Pakistani politician with as diverse a background as MQM’s Barrister Saif. From the Jami’at cadre in his student days, he was apparently an active guerrilla foot soldier – some say commander – during the Soviet jihad in Afghanistan. That, in hindsight, must have been where he first rubbed shoulders with elements from the ‘establishment’. The ‘90s saw him pursuing high-profile law degrees in Europe. By the time the decade of democracy had run its course he was back in Pakistan. And the Musharraf setup saw him return to the establishment’s fold.

Now, with MQM, he finds himself at the other end of the spectrum. One of the party’s leading legal eagles, he must help build a case that must now stand the pressure of this establishment. His legal stature, and achievements, will no doubt help. Highly educated well connected, he will be one of the party’s principal spokesman through the crisis. DNA talked to him exclusively to make sense MQM’s understanding of developments.

Question: In the wake of the recent spat between Altaf Hussain and the leadership of the armed forces, do you think that the action in Karachi would become more intense against the MQM?

Muhammad Ali Saif: The Karachi operation is already intense and it is targeted towards victimising a progressive and liberal political party — MQM. Unfortunately, the irony of the situation is that it was MQM that demanded an operation in Karachi against the Taliban and other terrorist groups, but when the operation was launched we were the only target.

On the one hand, the establishment is fighting Zarb-e-Azb against the Taliban. Conversely, it is supporting and nurturing orthodox and conservative parties like PTI and JI to replace MQM. While both PTI and JI have been sympathetic to terrorists, now taking action against a progressive party like MQM would only strengthen the extremist mindset and weaken patriotic and progressive people in Karachi.

This operation should have been neutral. If people think MQM comprises terrorists and criminals, they are wrong. Any effort to push a party like MQM against the wall is bound to fail. It has mass public support and its roots run deep in society.

But if some criminal elements have got into the MQM fold, we are ready to support the law enforcing agencies (LEAs) to get hold of them. If we were taken into confidence, we would ourselves have produced any wanted individuals so they could be brought to justice.

However, things on ground are different and our repeated offers for cooperation have been turned down. MQM workers time and again have been arrested, tortured and killed.

So, there is a feeling among the people of Karachi that there is a plan to target the MQM and its supporters. This feeling needs to be taken into account. There is always a difference between action against criminals and targeting a specific political movement.

Let me clarify that victimisation and witch-hunt will only lead to ethnic and racial discrimination, which would ultimately harm the state of Pakistan.

This is 21st century and no one can be silenced through intimidation. Those segments of society who have time and again been isolated, left backward and kept poor, whether they are Muhajirs, Pashtuns, or the people in northern or southern Punjab, all think that they have been ignored.

The state institutions need to heal their wounds rather than suppressing the voices for separate province. The recent actions and media trial of MQM convey the message of victimisation. The press briefing by SSP Rao Anwar is a case in point.

If some criminal elements have got into the MQM fold, we are ready to support the law enforcing agencies (LEAs) to get hold of them. If we were taken into confidence, we would ourselves have produced any wanted individuals so they could be brought to justice

How could an officer of such rank could hold a press conference and demand a ban against a political party which enjoys mass public support and is the third largest political party of the country?

While Baloch insurgents, TTP and other terrorists have been given a license to kill, MQM is being victimised. While MQM wants to come into the national mainstream, it would a folly to think that isolating and suppressing a specific community with a strong heritage and culture would help. No, it would backfire.

MQM is a political force to reckon with, which is willing to cooperate with the army and the establishment. Just bring evidence and we will hand-over any wanted man to the LEAs. But state institutions should not act as prosecutor and judge simultaneously.

Q. Do you see a connection between Rao Anwar and Asif Zardari? Why is there a perception that MQM has been trapped by the PPP leadership soon after the MQM chief made another demand for creation of a separate province in Sindh?

MAS: I don’t think the PPP is a threat to MQM anymore. PPP no longer enjoys public support in urban areas of Sindh. Rather, it has been confined to a few districts of rural Sindh where clan-based politics is a norm and feudals rule while the poor suffer. PPP is still facing the worst crisis of its leadership.

So the PPP is no threat for MQM in political terms. Our demand for a separate province is not fresh either. Such demands have been made by MQM before. Also, other parties in Hazara, South Punjab, Bahawalpur and other parts of the country have also raised such demands.

But the press conference by Rao Anwar reflects that the feudal politicians and the establishment have ganged up to target the MQM. But such plans would fail as was the case in the past.

The recent by-election in NA-246 has proved that this plan has again failed. The victimisation of MQM’s workers and sympathisers has rather galvanised public support for us. The operation is also nothing new for MQM. We have faced worse operations in the past.

Q. Do you think that the language used by the MQM chief falls under sedition charges, as being dubbed by some legal experts?

MAS: No, sir. I think that sedition charges could only be liable where anyone incites the public at large for ulterior motives against the state. Under the law, the words uttered by Quaid-e-Tehreek Altaf Hussain don’t fall under sedition.

Treason is equivalent to calling somebody an illegitimate child. Such harsh allegations, while also baseless and unfounded, are bound to ignite a person’s emotions and may turn him sentimental. So Altaf Bhai’s remarks were emotional and they fall under an emotional situation.

One needs to understand the emotions of Altaf Bhai. Muhajirs have rendered unparalleled sacrifices for Pakistan by migrating from India for the cause of Pakistan, leaving behind everything. But now they are labelled as criminals and gangsters. No individual or institution has the right to award certificates of patriotism to those who sacrificed everything for Pakistan.

Q. Do you think it was decent to taunt the army leadership while referring to the 1971 surrender?

MAS: In an emotional state of mind, Quaid-e-Tehreek Altaf Hussain referred to the surrender, which is a historical fact. But referring to this fact was under specific circumstances in an emotional outburst.

Take the example of US General David Petraeus who is facing indictment despite having an exceptional army career. So this does not mean that the US government is targeting the US army

So this should not be regarded as if the MQM opposes the institution of the armed forces. One may have differences of opinion regarding decisions taken by some individuals of the army. We have the right to criticise the actions which intimidate, victimise and isolate the third largest party of the country. However, this should not be construed as an attempt to discredit or taunt the image of the Pakistan army as a whole.

Take the example of US General David Petraeus who is facing indictment despite having an exceptional army career. So this does not mean that the US government is targeting the US army.

Q. Why in the world are all criminals traced back to MQM? Why has there been no action against other parties? Do they have target killers? And if they do, why aren’t they arrested also?

MAS: This is the point I am trying to make. Thank you for helping me out by putting this tough question. We think that MQM is being victimised and any criminal arrested is being labelled as an MQM man. The Supreme Court judgment clearly stated that the TTP, ANP, Sunni Tehreek, PPP, Lyari Gang, Jamaat-e-Islami – all have armed wings in Karachi. Now why is action only targeted at MQM? The action against one specific party reflects a specific thinking within the establishment circles.

On the contrary, none of the alleged criminals have been sentenced by a court of law. MQM has never been penalised by any court. So, why does MQM’s media trial go on?

Q. If there is an organised action against MQM, why has your leadership failed to foil any such conspiracy by opening channels with the establishment and offering a through and impartial probe?

MAS: The MQM has always offered cooperation with the political leadership for the sake of the country. Altaf Hussain, time and again, has offered the army leadership his help against terrorists. We held the largest rallies in support of Operation Zarb-e-Azb. We mobilised the public at large to volunteer for supporting the action against terrorists.

But the feudal mindset has never been willing to recognise the MQM as a robust, popular political entity which is progressive, liberal and forward looking. The traditional and feudal elements are reluctant to allow space for a new political force with massive public support.

Let me tell you that we are patriotic people. My own family has given many martyrs to Pakistan and its armed forces. We have been fighting against enemy forces in the past and we are always available to fight enemies whether Indians or Taliban inside the country or on the borders.