Are MQM dissidents losing momentum?

Facing a dilemma

There was initially a widespread perception that Mustafa Kamal had only a limited aim. He had returned to Pakistan to expose and demolish Altaf Hussain and create a big dent in the MQM to reduce it into a small and ineffective group. In less than a fortnight he managed to increase his groups’ strength from two to five. If the group was hoping for large scale desertions in the MQM, it must have found by now that it had taken up a difficult task. The campaign to win over MQM leaders has apparently hit snags. On Thursday a press conference meant to announce the desertion of another MQM leader was first delayed, then postponed. On Friday, Ishratul Ibad who was supposed to be mulling change of party affiliation made it known that he did not support the dissidents. On Friday the MQM commemorated its 32^nd foundation day with traditional fanfare in Karachi, Hyderabad and other urban centres of Sindh, indicating that the party was still capable of putting up a good show of street power even during one of the worst periods in its history.

Mustafa Kamal had hinted in his first speech that he wanted to build a new party. Apparently he had done no homework regarding the rationale for a new party, its long term programme and its immediate aims and objectives. If Anees Qaimkhani is to be believed the dissidents want to create a mainstream party with branches all over Pakistan. The Sindh chapter of the new party, according to him, would represent all Sindhis across the ethnic divide. This is putting more on their plate than the group can chew. While in Dubai Mustafa Kamal had enough time to work out details about party formation. Now that the small group has jumped into the political fray it would further lose momentum if it was to get involved in debates related to party formation. It has to face the dilemma created by a hasty return without completing the homework.