LAHORE - More than two dozen key members of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) could defect to Mustafa Kamal’s camp, leaders on both sides say.
The party high command has marked more than two dozen ‘suspects’ who they believe are in contact with the dissident group being led by Mustafa Kamal and Anees Qaimkhani, some senior MQM leaders requesting anonymity told The Nation.
“The suspects include members of national parliament and Sindh Assembly as well as members of powerful coordination committee (Rabta Committee) of the party,” they added.
Mustafa, the former Karachi mayor, says he’s in the process of making their own party that he claims to be national in character. But practically he his presenting a challenge to his former party and its chief Altaf Hussain, and had already been joined by Dr Sagheer, Waseem Aftab and Iftikhar Alam in his adventure.
Mustafa Kamal, when called, confirmed that several MQM members belonging to all cadres and positions were in contact with them.
“We are surprised by the overwhelming support from MQM including its bigwigs like parliamentarians and party organisers. We are sitting in our rented home to welcome more companions to end the system of gun-politics.
“We are very much sure that almost all the men in MQM with clean record will join us soon to end politics of bloodshed in Karachi in particular and the country in general.
“We will visit Punjab after finishing our business in urban and rural Sindh as party (MQM) stalwarts in Punjab including some founding members are in contact with us (to join the new party).”
Sources in MQM Punjab chapter told this paper that a top party figure in the province, senior leader Bisma Asif and a dozen founding members fall in the ‘suspects list’ of (MQM headquarter) Nine-Zero. Iftikhar Randhawa, an estranged MQM leader in Punjab, is also in contact with the rebel group.
Mr Kamal confirmed some of the names but which he requested not be made public till their joining. “MQM Punjab committee president, Senator Mian Attique is not in contact with the party for some time and he didn’t turn up at Nine-Zero to participate in an oath of allegiance to Altaf Hussain by National Assembly, Senate and Sindh Assembly members of the party,” added MQM Punjab sources.
“Anees Qaimkhani is the real man who is effecting defections from his former party. Qaimkhani, through a sidelined former coordination committee member, contacted MQM leaders in Punjab. At one time in 2013 many of the Punjab organisers were reshuffled because they were suspected of being close to Qaimkhani, the then deputy convener of the MQM.
“Mr Qaimkhani was the feared-most member among the MQM ranks. He created his own information network to monitor his opponents by planting his close men in the coordination committee, besides remaining in contact with many of the party men to the level of unit in-charges.
“At least one of the three coordination committee members overseeing Punjab from Nine-Zero is in contact with Qaimkhani at this moment too.” Asked to unveil some key suspects on their list, senior party leaders at Nine-Zero named Raza Haroon, Khushbakhat Shujat, Rasheed Godial, Faisal Subazwari, Rehan Hashmi, Izhar-ul-Hassan Khawaja. There were more than six other members of the powerful coordination committee on the list, they said, without giving their names.
“The party high command has (already) sidelined the suspected leaders and, of course, it has the option to expel any person from the party if there is credible information about his/her plans to switch the sides,” they added.
Altaf loyalists admitting the fear factor of Mr Qaimkhani said, “Mr Kamal is the public or media face of anti-Altaf group while Qaimkhani is the organiser who they believe would not even hesitate to twist arms.”
Analysts believe a bloody clash could ensue between the two sides if defections gained momentum, an impression denied by both MQM and the new group.