Is the Army sincere with Altaf Bhai's MQM?
By
Abdul Sattar
KARACHI: What is going on in Karachi’s No-Go Areas is a
mystery known only to the secret agencies of General Pervez Musharraf.
Apparently the Army is trying to appease Altaf Hussain’s
MQM by hitting out at the MQM Haqiqi Group but in reality the
agencies do not want to hurt their own creation.
This
has led to a stand off between the new Government of Mir Zafrullah
Khan Jamali and Altaf Bhai who withdrew his candidate for a cabinet
seat at the last minute. Attacks on Dr. Farooq Sattar while taking
over an office in the No Go Area of Landhi further compounded
the situation for the administration.
What
has been going on is like a scene of a suspense thriller. After
the vociferous demands of MQM Chief Altaf Hussain regarding elimination
of these NGAs, President Musharraf gave a statement in favor of
MQM and reportedly ordered abolition of all these areas.
But
subsequent statements of his Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider
and Information Minister Nisar Memon indicated that Pakistani
agencies were still divided over the issue. Both these ministers
said there were no NGAs in Karachi and it was a dispute between
the two groups of MQM. Their statements gave the first clue that
the most powerful agencies of the government were not in favour
of abolishing the NGAs.
On November 18 Altaf Bhai decided to support the PML(Q) on the
assurance that the government would abolish the NGAs. Next day
government started the crackdown on the Haqiqi group. Its sector
and unit offices were sealed and its leaders including Afaq Ahmed
and Amir Khan were besieged in the party head office Baitul Humza.
But
Altaf Bhai got alerted when both Afaq, Amir and other leaders
managed to escape, despite the heavy presence of the Rangers and
police. They even held a telephonic press conference. On Nov 20
the activists of Mutahida reached Landhi along with Dr. Farooq
Sattar, Nasreen Jalil, Abdul Qadir Lakhani and other leaders of
the party and tried to take over the head office of the Haqiqi.
They were attacked and the female activists of Haqiqi manhandled
Nasreen Jalil. Altaf Bhai’s men managed to occupy only three
units of Landhi and six others stayed under the control of Haqiqi
who were heavily armed despite the presence of police and law
enforcement agencies.
If
one compares this operation with that launched against the Altaf
Group on June19, 1992, it was clear that the agencies did not
want to eliminate the Haqiqi Group. In 1992 when the operation
against the Altaf Group started, activists of Haqiqi came along
with Pakistan Army and the troops not only allowed Haqiqi activists
to torture activists of Altaf Group but some of them were killed
right in front of these troops.
Those killed included the brother of Haroon Siddiqi, a former
Altaf Group MPA who was shot in Unit 83. The army arrested every
one. But in the current operation the attitude of the police and
Rangers was totally different.
When the Rangers besieged Baitul Hamza, Afaq Ahmed and other leaders
of the party were inside it. The Rangers did not allow police
to get near the Head office of the Haqiqi, thus deliberately delaying
the arrest of Afaq.
Haqiqi
leaders claimed that 300 of its workers had been arrested but
not a single prominent leader was named. Most of those arrested
were youngsters and students of Matric or 9th class. The Haqiqi
Group had close relations with the agencies and an army picket
had been established near their head office for a long time, manned
by the Rangers. That is why the Rangers were reluctant to arrest
leaders of the Group.
Most of the activists of Haqiqi were armed and present at Landhi
No 6, 5,3,4 and 5.5 locations but the police did not try to disarm
them. The activists of the Mutahida were also armed but not as
heavily as that of Haqiqi. They were present at Babar markets
and two other units in Landhi. In Malir, Shah Faisal, Lines Area
and Liaqautabad the Haqiqi workers were heavily armed and Mutahida
was to face a stiff resistance if they tried to penetrate. Police
and Rangers were simply watching as silent spectators and doing
nothing to disarm the group.
Basically
the agencies wanted to convey a message to the government that
if these areas were opened to Mutahida there would be serious
bloodshed and on this pretext they might discontinue the operation
against the NGAs.
On
Nov 22 an activist of the Haqiqi was fired upon in 2 B Sector
of Landhi. He died on the same day. Following his death tension
gripped Landhi and the office of Mutahida at Korangi No1 was attacked
leaving four people injured. This happened in the heavy presence
of the Rangers and police.
On
Nov 22 female activists of the Haqiqi demonstrated in front of
the Governor House in Karachi. They were armed with sticks and
injured some police officials and tried to capture an armored
carrier vehicle of the police. They remained there for over 100
minutes shouting slogans against the government. Interestingly
the police did not turn violent giving yet another signal that
the operation against Haqiqi was not going to be severe.
On
Nov 21 an evening Urdu newspaper in Karachi published a report
quoting the agencies in which they feared that a bloodbath may
occur as both groups of the MQM were amassing weapons and trying
to prepare for pitched battles against each other. The same newspaper
published a report about the formation of Mohajir National Front,
to be led by ousted Secretary General Dr. Imran Farooq. This was
interpreted as a psychological tactic of the agencies. It seems
that they want to divide the Altaf Group into as many groups as
possible, like the Jeay Sindh.
There are also conflicting views about the crackdown. Some people
think that the government wanted the support of Altaf Group for
Mr. Jamali and now that he has got through the new regime may
not honor the secret deal reached between the establishment and
Altaf Bhai.
Haqiqi chief Afaq Ahmed’s statement also bolstered this
view as he said after the election of the PM, the situation would
change. Another view is that the agencies would keep both the
groups in the NGAs so that the presence of Rangers and interference
of the federal government agencies could be justified.
Analysts
believe if the government would use the Haqiqi against the Mutahida,
Altaf Bhai will not completely cooperate with the PML(Q), thus
threatening to bring down Mr. Jamali.
Others believe the MQM wants the chief ministership of the Sindh
and it seems firm in doing so.
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