The recent rebellion by Mustafa Kamal, former Karachi nazim and once a blue-eyed boy of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chairman Altaf Hussain, and his group may actually be the consequence of a turf war launched by the party’s disgruntled loyalists against what they call ‘qabza groups’ who have taken over all operations and finances at the Karachi and London secretariats, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Senior MQM leaders believe that the ‘DNA’ of the rebel group is purely political in nature although they might have got a ‘wink’ from the military establishment as well. The fight, above all, is a turf war between these groups within the MQM that has now gained momentum as Altaf Hussain is losing grip on the party affairs due to ill health.
Sources in the MQM claim that the recent defections from the party are only tip of the iceberg and a string of desertions are due in the next couple of months as the battle for urban Sindh gathers pace.
No MQM leader was ready to speak about the issue on the record.
However, background interviews with party leaders have revealed that the revolt is pointed against ‘pro-India’ Mohammad Anwar Group, who the party’s senior leaders claim has taken over the international secretariat in London and the ‘traitor’ Amir Khan Group that is commanding Nine Zero in Karachi.
They claim that things are going fine at the take-off stage as prominent politicians are joining the rebel group but expressed fears that the situation could turn ugly once the fight for units and sectors starts between the two factions.
Sources also claimed that the recent rebellion is actually led by party’s former strongman Anis Kaimkhani, and not by Mustafa Kamal.
Talking to Pakistan Today, they said that Kaimkhani is the de facto leader of the rebel group while Mustafa Kamal is merely the face who has been given a lead role because of his recognition among the public for his services as former mayor of Karachi.
Anis Kaimkhani, the former MQM deputy convener who used to be one of the most trusted lieutenants of Altaf Hussain, represents the party’s hardcore group which has staged mutiny against the London-based party leader Mohammad Anwar and Pakistan-based Amir Khan. Kaimkhani himself was very active as the party’s point man for resolving workers’ problems when he was the party’s deputy convener four years ago.
The MQM sources said that the seeds of discord were sown in year 2011 when Altaf Hussain announced that he was accepting the apology of the party’s rebel leader Amir Khan and his group and was welcoming them back into the party. Amir Khan rose through the party ranks once more and became very close to the party leadership. Later, Mohammad Anwar group also stepped up its control over the party’s affairs just as the MQM chief was losing his health and his grip over the party’s affairs.
MQM insiders claim that the party’s rebellion has been masterminded by its leaders in Dubai and London and many more senior party leaders who were sidelined during MQM leader Mohammad Anwar’s rise may join the rebel group in the next few months.
Those based in Karachi, however, may be too afraid to come out of the woodwork and may resurface only when the dust settles down.
While the defections are damaging the party and weakening Altaf’s grip on the party’s affairs, these are helping the cause of Mohammad Anwar and Amir Khan groups who are silently tightening their grip over the party with each passing day.
“This rebellion is not against Altaf Hussain. Rather it is against those who have encircled the party leader in London. The people in London have encircled Altaf bhai and don’t allow anyone to tell him the truth,” a senior Karachi based leader of the MQM told Pakistan Today requesting anonymity.
The source said that the senior leaders of the party were also angry over the appointment of Amir Khan as the party’s senior deputy convener despite the fact that he had been involved in the killing of hundreds of party workers and leaders.
MQM leaders believe that Altaf Hussain was under the influence of Mohammad Anwar, whose brother-in-law Tariq Mir, brother Chunnu Khan and son-in-law Inbasat Malik were running the party literally in a mafia style from London.
“They have control over everything. Mir is looking after financial issues, Anwar is the Don who looks after the Indian connections while Chunnu and Inbasat manage the money laundering business. This group has already removed the party’s senior loyalists from the international secretariat and is running the show without any challenge,” the source said and added that Dr Nadeem Nusrat and Mustafa Azizabadi were helpless and can’t do anything as Altaf Hussain himself is being controlled by Anwar.
And while the party’s London Secretariat had been hijacked by the Anwar group, 90, the party’s headquarters in Karachi, the party leaders claimed, had been taken over by the Amir Khan group. They said that since Amir has installed his comrades in key positions, Dr Farooq Sattar and company have no say in the party’s affairs anymore.
Amir Khan was a top member of the party’s Thunder Squad who, along with another rebel commander, Afaq Ahmed, staged a coup against Altaf Hussain in 1992. This rebellion triggered a turf war between the two groups, which left hundreds of party loyalists dead and injured in Karachi. Afaq Ahmed and Amir Khan received open support from the armed forces. Some of the senior leaders of the party were also killed and injured in the infighting.
The quiet rejoining of the party by the Amir Khan group irked the party’s loyalists, then led by deputy convener of Rabita Committee Anis Kaimkhani who had had been on a warpath with the Amir Khan group since the rebellion of 1992. Hundreds of Amir’s loyalists, friends and relatives were killed, including his nephew.
Amir Khan is now the most powerful leader at Nine Zero, the party’s headquarters, as he holds the office of Senior Deputy Convener of the party in Pakistan. Soon after being given the top office, Amir appointed his own boys in areas like Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, Landhi, Lines Area and elsewhere in MQM’s strongholds.
On the other hand, Anis Kaimkhani and his associates were on the other side of the corner. Kaimkhani hails from Hyderabad and has been associated with the party since it was still a student organisation called All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation (APMSO).
“During those days, in 2013, Kaimkhani had the final say in all the Nine Zero’s affairs as he enjoyed unparalleled respect and power,” a senior MQM told Pakistan Today, adding that the man not only chaired the party’s core group but also ran the day-to-day affairs of MQM in the party’s 26 sectors and around 200 units across urban Sindh.
As the party chief’s senior-most confidante in Karachi, Kaimkhani literally ruled the port city. He was a ruthless commander during most of his career in the MQM. From distributing seats for members of the National as well as provincial assemblies and making sure that the party won every election, Kaimkhani was the man responsible for most of the party’s decisions during that time.
Soon after the operation ended in early 2000, Gen Musharraf’s love affair with the MQM started. It was Kaimkhani’s comrades who then targeted many commanders of Amir and Afaq groups, almost wiping them out along with over 200 police officers who had taken part in the two operations conducted against the MQM in 1992 and 1996.
“Now that the tide is turning, Amir Khan must be waiting for his turn to settle scores with Kaimkhani’s men. If measures are not taken in time, Karachi may see another bloodbath when the struggle for power starts on the ground,” a party leader in Karachi said.
“The lawmakers of the MQM who have resigned were once handpicked by Kaimkhani. All of his comrades, including unit in-charges and sector heads, have either been removed or sidelined and Amir Khan’s loyalists have taken over,” the party leader added.
A party leader at Nine Zero says that after rejoining the party, Amir Khan remains silent most of the time.
“His mysterious silence gives the impression that something is cooking somewhere. At times, this silence irks the party leaders as he hardly speaks. He has become a shady character now. He has shifted most of his family members abroad and lives alone at Nine Zero. He may be on a mission to avenge past grievances,” a source in the Rabita Committee said.
While Kaimkhani and Mustafa Kamal are targeting Altaf in their speeches, they are not targeting Dr Farooq Sattar who is not part of Amir Khan’s team.
Interestingly, the source claimed that the MQM workers who have been arrested as well as those involved in cases where JIT reports have been finalised, are those who were appointed by Kaimkhani.
“Amir Khan’s group is still untouched while most of those arrested are the ones who worked under Kaimkhani. This is why Mustafa Kamal and Kaimkhani are calling for amnesty for those who have been arrested,” the source added.
While the lawmakers loyal to Kaimkhani are resigning, the Amir Khan group is set to silently take over the party by nominating their team for the upcoming by-polls.
Despite repeated attempts, Mustafa Kamal and Wasay Jalil could not be reached for comments.
