LAHORE: Although the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) braces to celebrate its 27th birth anniversary on March 18 amidst predictions by many an analyst that it might well be on the brink of breaking yet another alliance with the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), there have been at least a dozen occasions since 1988 when both these political parties have shared sweet memories together.
Led by Altaf Hussain, the MQM had helped the PPP form a coalition government in Sindh nearly 23 years ago in 1988. Though this young party had won a larger mandate in urban Sindh as compared to the PPP during the 1988 general elections, it still inked a 59-point agreement with the late Premier Benazir Bhutto’s ruling party.
This pact, called the Karachi Accord, was signed for protection of the democratic system and political rights, achievement of urban development goals and for the creation of objective criteria for admission to universities and colleges.
Within a few months of the much-trumpeted agreement, differences between the PPP and MQM surfaced and Altaf Hussain’s men in the Sindh cabinet decided to resign because the agreement was not implemented.
The PPP-MQM alliance thus broke up in October 1989 and MQM opted to join hands with PPP’s opponents-the Pakistan Muslim League. The two parties again came together in July 2000, when a Nationality Accountability Bureau (NAB) court had found MQM leader, Farooq Sattar, guilty of having misused his authority while he was serving as a Local Government Minister in Sindh.
Farooq Sattar was sentenced to 14 years in prison. The PPP promptly criticized Farooq Sattar’s conviction, stating that it was a “miscarriage of justice.” While criticizing the court’s verdict, the PPP leadership had asserted that it was “putting aside its political differences with the MQM” to uphold the principle of justice, rule of law and human dignity.
In August 2000, the PPP and MQM were both members of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA)-which in late 2000 became the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD)-a coalition formed to bring to an end the military regime of General Musharraf and to restore democracy in the country.
In February 2001, the MQM Chief Altaf Hussain had stated that “his party was ready to shake hands with the PPP despite extra-judicial killings of MQM workers and other atrocities, provided the PPP leader Benazir Bhutto announced that she would now struggle to liberate Sindh from the clutches of what he called the Punjabi establishment.” This statement of Altaf Hussain was published in The News of February 11, 2001.
On August 14, 2001, the Gulf News had quoted the MQM boss Altaf Hussain as saying that he would set aside all bitter memories of the past without any hesitation if the PPP leader Benazir Bhutto promised to work for Sindhis. However, in August 2002, Farooq Sattar had ruled out the possibility of an electoral alliance between his party and any other entity.
Farooq Sattar was quoted by Daily Dawn of August 3, 2002 as saying that “the PPP would be the last party on earth with which the MQM would join hands.”
On October 12, 2002, after the PPP was unable to form a provincial government (following the split mandate from the October 2002 elections) without the cooperation of either the independent winners or the MQM, the late Benazir Bhutto said she did not rule out cooperation with Altaf Hussain’s political entity, provided the differences were set aside for the sake of a new beginning. Benazir’s views were published in Daily Dawn of October 12, 2002.
On October 29, 2002, the central leaders of the PPP and the MQM held negotiations and hence agreed to continue dialogue to form a coalition government in Sindh.
On October 30, 2002, the PPP said it was doing its best to establish a lasting relationship with the MQM on the basis of mutual respect by burying the hatchet, adding that there was a realization in the two parties that a partnership between them “could provide stability to the province of Sindh.” (Dawn October 30, 2002).
In November 2002, the MQM held long deliberations on the evolving national political situation and subsequently issued a statement saying that it had negotiated with the PPP in the larger interest of Sindh, despite extra-judicial killings and atrocities committed by Benazir Bhutto’s party (Daily The News).
On December 1, 2002, the PPP and MQM agreed to continue dialogue aimed at the formation of a government in Sindh.
On December 13, 2002, when the Karachi police had blocked and tortured Youns Khan, the MQM (Haqiqi) secretary general and member of Sindh Assembly, while he was trying to exit the Assembly after taking his oath, both PPP and the Mutahhida Majalis-e-Amal (MMA) members had come to his rescue. Those who tried to save Yonus Khan, a member of MQM’s splinter faction, were also subjected to maltreatment by the police. This incident had again widened the temporarily bridged rift between the PPP and the MQM. It was in not so distant past when both MQM and the PPP had joined hands in both Federal government and the Sindh Assembly after the February 2008 polls. MQM left the Federal cabinet and its members have since been found at the daggers drawn with PPP’s Interior Minister in Sindh, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza.
The News
Led by Altaf Hussain, the MQM had helped the PPP form a coalition government in Sindh nearly 23 years ago in 1988. Though this young party had won a larger mandate in urban Sindh as compared to the PPP during the 1988 general elections, it still inked a 59-point agreement with the late Premier Benazir Bhutto’s ruling party.
This pact, called the Karachi Accord, was signed for protection of the democratic system and political rights, achievement of urban development goals and for the creation of objective criteria for admission to universities and colleges.
Within a few months of the much-trumpeted agreement, differences between the PPP and MQM surfaced and Altaf Hussain’s men in the Sindh cabinet decided to resign because the agreement was not implemented.
The PPP-MQM alliance thus broke up in October 1989 and MQM opted to join hands with PPP’s opponents-the Pakistan Muslim League. The two parties again came together in July 2000, when a Nationality Accountability Bureau (NAB) court had found MQM leader, Farooq Sattar, guilty of having misused his authority while he was serving as a Local Government Minister in Sindh.
Farooq Sattar was sentenced to 14 years in prison. The PPP promptly criticized Farooq Sattar’s conviction, stating that it was a “miscarriage of justice.” While criticizing the court’s verdict, the PPP leadership had asserted that it was “putting aside its political differences with the MQM” to uphold the principle of justice, rule of law and human dignity.
In August 2000, the PPP and MQM were both members of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA)-which in late 2000 became the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD)-a coalition formed to bring to an end the military regime of General Musharraf and to restore democracy in the country.
In February 2001, the MQM Chief Altaf Hussain had stated that “his party was ready to shake hands with the PPP despite extra-judicial killings of MQM workers and other atrocities, provided the PPP leader Benazir Bhutto announced that she would now struggle to liberate Sindh from the clutches of what he called the Punjabi establishment.” This statement of Altaf Hussain was published in The News of February 11, 2001.
On August 14, 2001, the Gulf News had quoted the MQM boss Altaf Hussain as saying that he would set aside all bitter memories of the past without any hesitation if the PPP leader Benazir Bhutto promised to work for Sindhis. However, in August 2002, Farooq Sattar had ruled out the possibility of an electoral alliance between his party and any other entity.
Farooq Sattar was quoted by Daily Dawn of August 3, 2002 as saying that “the PPP would be the last party on earth with which the MQM would join hands.”
On October 12, 2002, after the PPP was unable to form a provincial government (following the split mandate from the October 2002 elections) without the cooperation of either the independent winners or the MQM, the late Benazir Bhutto said she did not rule out cooperation with Altaf Hussain’s political entity, provided the differences were set aside for the sake of a new beginning. Benazir’s views were published in Daily Dawn of October 12, 2002.
On October 29, 2002, the central leaders of the PPP and the MQM held negotiations and hence agreed to continue dialogue to form a coalition government in Sindh.
On October 30, 2002, the PPP said it was doing its best to establish a lasting relationship with the MQM on the basis of mutual respect by burying the hatchet, adding that there was a realization in the two parties that a partnership between them “could provide stability to the province of Sindh.” (Dawn October 30, 2002).
In November 2002, the MQM held long deliberations on the evolving national political situation and subsequently issued a statement saying that it had negotiated with the PPP in the larger interest of Sindh, despite extra-judicial killings and atrocities committed by Benazir Bhutto’s party (Daily The News).
On December 1, 2002, the PPP and MQM agreed to continue dialogue aimed at the formation of a government in Sindh.
On December 13, 2002, when the Karachi police had blocked and tortured Youns Khan, the MQM (Haqiqi) secretary general and member of Sindh Assembly, while he was trying to exit the Assembly after taking his oath, both PPP and the Mutahhida Majalis-e-Amal (MMA) members had come to his rescue. Those who tried to save Yonus Khan, a member of MQM’s splinter faction, were also subjected to maltreatment by the police. This incident had again widened the temporarily bridged rift between the PPP and the MQM. It was in not so distant past when both MQM and the PPP had joined hands in both Federal government and the Sindh Assembly after the February 2008 polls. MQM left the Federal cabinet and its members have since been found at the daggers drawn with PPP’s Interior Minister in Sindh, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza.
The News
