Leaderless Karachi

(saad salim, karachi)

The world’s biggest migration took place on august 14-15, 1947. Millions of immigrant travel towards the new state of PAKISTAN. Thousands are homeless butchered, raped, tortured and murdered. After a great struggle at last on 28 august 1948, we migrants shifted to Pakistan and trying to settle in the country’s different provinces. People from Indian Punjab migrate to Punjab with the same culture in Pakistan, some pukhtunes migrate to NWFP and mostly people from Hyderabad Deccan, meruth, Bihar, Delhi, Bombay and other parts of India settled in Sindh mostly in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mir Purkhas and others rural areas. Actually, this is the cultural shock for both of them the migrants and the local Sindhi speaking people. But somehow both the communities are managed to live together.

Karachi faces so many ethnic clashes between Urdu speaking (muhajir) and other ethnicities (Punjabi, pukhton) the reason behind it was claiming the ownership and dominance in the city. The Urdu speaking muhajir claims that they are more national than other ethnicities and has the main vital role in the creation of Pakistan and other claims that they are muhajir they are not the son of the soil. The tension continues and growing day by day. At last, on late 1964 the then general Ayyub khan opposes miss Fatima Ali Jinnah the sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah (father of the nation) and contest elections against her at last on 2nd January 1965 he was elected as the president of Pakistan with 64% of the votes and defeated Miss Fatima Ali Jinnah. This was the huge setback for the country, especially for the Urdu speaking community because they more affiliate themselves with Miss Fatima Ali Jinnah. From then the brutal history of ethnic violence was triggered. By the end of the year 1970, the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education recommended adopting Sindhi as the official language of the board. Then, in January 1971, the Urdu Speaking community, organized by Nawab Muzaffar, launched anti-Sindhis processions, to which Sindh is answered alike. The law and order situation degenerated and clashes occurred in Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, and Larkana. By the end of the month, disturbances spread to Karachi up to the north of the province. For the first time, the Urdu Speaking community started to raise the demand for Karachi as a separate province. On 12th June 1978, Altaf Hussain creates a new student national political party APMSO (All Pakistan Muhajir student organisation) for the discrimination and rights of muhajir community. APMSO is hugely appreciated in Karachi, Hyderabad, and other city areas as well as hugely opposed in rural Sindh. Now the Urdu speaking community finds their political force in the country and APMSO is widely appreciated. This was the perfect time for Altaf Hussain to cash the community’ isolation and discrimination and create a national level political party. In the year 1984, Muhajir Quami Movement emerges as the political face of muhajir on a national level and they clean sweep the election with a simple majority in the city areas of Sindh. The creation of MQM has actually divided Sindh as in two different sections one is ruler Sindh in which the Peoples Party is so popular and strong and in cities of Sindh MQM emerges as the big political force. The distance between the two communities still there and now with more political fuel and energy. After MQM Sindh observe so many ethnic riots some notables are 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989,1990 Hyderabad pakka qilla massacre. Also, MQM cashed the 1992-1996 army operation by which thousands of MQM workers are killed, jailed and many went in hidings. Altaf Hussain along with his close friends left Pakistan and continue politics from London this was totally impossible to believe that how a person control his political party from another country but Mr. Altaf Hussain made it to happened. The people of Karachi and other cities fully support MQM in spite of all the allegations on the political party. All the incidence constantly strong the stance of MQM and MQM grow stronger day by day their ethnic politics is somehow justified by the people of Karachi and Hyderabad this was actually the beginning of what we suffer today. From 2007-2015 MQM faces so many allegations of extortion, target killing, and other serious criminal activities and the Urdu speaking community is now shifted from supporter to the victims. The one community which is constantly supporting MQM for decades are now insecure from their own political party which they support for more than 3 decades but sadly MQM failed to understand that.

It is not questionable that the founder and leader of mqm Mr. Altaf Hussain is the most controversial politician in Pakistan politics he is continuously in news for many different but mainly wrong reasons he often considered as an outspoken politician which has immense control in his political party from a simple worker to the member of coordination committee but now this is not the case I keenly observe that before 2 to 3 years his party clearly slip from his hands and he constantly loosing grip on MQM. I observe so many wrong political decisions in past few years whether it’s the policies or the internal decisions. Mr. Altaf Hussian is not as active and healthy as he was on 1990’s the political vacuum or leadership crises was created day by day. The constant slip of toung and reversal decisions are clearly shown that pressure which was mount by our law enforcement agencies, media, and other political parties. The health issues of MQM founder is also the major concern (I think it’s more of a mental illness than physical) and finally on 22nd sept 2016 Mr. Altaf Hussain cross all limits and raised anti-national slogans. Now MQM is divided into two groups one is MQM Pakistan which portrays them more national and patriotic and another group is MQM London which still supports the statement of Altaf Hussain and gives their own explanations. But what about the Urdu speaking community what will they do, to whom they trust, to whom they vote. If they support MQM P, so many question raised like how a political party disown themselves with their ideolog, their leader it's same as Mr. Zardari said I am the leader of PPP but I disown Bhutto how this is possible how the most educated community vote a confused political party and if they support MQM L then they supposed to be traitor in the eyes of all the country. No matter what we do with MQM but what about Urdu speaking community to whom they convey their problems they are confused and answer-less. The most educated community is politically orphan.

It’s a common perception in all over Pakistan that if you are Urdu speaking and from Karachi, so you belong to mqm or mqm sympathizer or voter. As a Karachite this thinking killing me softly day by day. I have made a scenario in my mind that what if mqm London wins the general election of 2018. All the Urdu speaking community is denoted as traitors and we all are always on the radar of suspicion. I am seeing the Urdu speaking community on the same scenario as they are on 1965 after the general elections. the whole community is now leaderless and isolated which will create more Altaf Hussain in future but I think this type it's less political and more brutal. I request to all of you please address this issue don’t isolate a community give them relevant leadership.

saad salim
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