Efforts underway to unite MQM factions to oust PTI from Karachi
Efforts are underway to unite Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) factions including MQM Pakistan, MQM Haqiqi, Pak-Sarzameen Party (PSP), Dr Farooq Sattar's MQM Bahali Committee
KARACHI: Efforts are underway to unite Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) factions including MQM Pakistan, MQM Haqiqi, Pak-Sarzameen Party (PSP), Dr Farooq Sattar’s MQM Bahali Committee after the appointment of Kamran Tessori as the Sindh governor.
Political analyst Shabbir Hussain shed light on the ongoing efforts to gather vote bank to oust Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Karachi. He said that it was surprising to see Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Abdul Hakeem Baloch’s victory in NA-237 Karachi by-polls with a close margin which was followed by PTI candidate while MQM-P was far behind in the electoral race.
He said that powerful circles were seemingly working on a plan to unite MQM factions to gather a powerful vote bank for ousting PTI in Karachi before the next general elections. Hussain said that it would be a difficult task to gather the MQM factions as all sides adopted a hardline stance against each other.
He said that Afaq Ahmed-led MQM Haqiqi adopted a hardline stance against his former political party and both factions had admitted to engage in violent fights on multiple occasions. The analyst added that Mustafa Kamal-led PSP also slammed the MQM leadership after joining back national politics.
He added that Dr Farooq Sattar-led faction MQM Bahali Committee will comparatively be an easy option for the powerful circles to convince him of the merger plan.
Hussain said that powerful circles chose Kamran Tessori – a former MQM leader – to assume the Sindh governor’s slot and begin the efforts to unite MQM factions. He added that the powerful circles could also take the ruling PPP’s support for the plan as the ruling political party has a weak vote bank in Karachi.
To a question regarding MQM Founder Altaf Hussain’s return, Hussain said that efforts were seen from some sections to bring back MQM Founder to national politics, however, they were also afraid of the expected outcomes like the return of violence to the metropolis which would be unstoppable for a long time after being controlled with years-long efforts.
