MQM Pakistan finds its footing without London HQ
It’s true that Farooq Sattar’s decision to disassociate Pakistan’ MQM from its London chapter was met with scepticism. After all, cutting off the London chapter meant cutting off Altaf Hussain – and running a party without the man who created it seemed a little farfetched. With members of the party’s militia still up and running, it seemed only a matter of time before the MQM eased its Quaid back into the public light, if not the party’s working. When former MQM Convener Nadeem Nusrat asked all MQM legislators to resign from their positions and apologise for abandoning Altaf Hussain, one can only assume the London chapter thought it a matter of time before the status quo was resumed.
No such luck.
Instead, MQM’s Pakistan leadership and party members are to be lauded for ignoring London HQ’s calls and reorganising the party without it. Farooq Sattar proclaimed himself MQM-Pakistan’s convener. The ECP legitimised this claim and leveled a heavy blow against Altaf’s London based MQM by announcing its recognition of Sattar as the party’s leader. The situation also speaks volumes about the sentiments of the Pakistani MQM: in politics, change – particularly such drastic change – doesn’t come over night. And considering the embarrassment caused to the party by the absurdity of some of Hussain’s speeches and his growing anti-Pakistan rhetoric, one is hardly surprised.
As Sattar is aware, the future of the MQM cannot be left in the hands of an unpredictable leadership based abroad. There are fears that the party’s remaining militant wing members may stage some form of a coup or that the common man may have to bear the consequences of the MQM’s power struggle in the form of aggravated violence, but it would appear that so far, things have been kept in hand. This is a first step in regaining the Pakistani people’s trust. And for this, the party must be lauded, as we hope it’s followed by more.