Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Friday announced that its members’ resignations from all three legislative floors were final. They said that there will be no dialogue over the matter. They have a new mission: they will temporarily abandon parliamentary politics and focus on the “establishment of a province and welfare activities.”
The MQM is of the view that the government had “not valued Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam – F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s role” as a mediator. They were also ticked off by the fact that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited Karachi and did not visit the critically injured MNA, Rashid Godil, in hospital.
If Nawaz Sharif is the reason why the party wants the resignations to be final it is quite childish. Did they really expect a PML-N leader to console them like a spoiled child after a tantrum? It is indeed regrettable that the Rashid Godil is critically injured, but he is their only saving grace for now. Yes, the PM could have paid him a visit, but it should have no real bearing on the MQM unless prior to the visit they had decide to take back their resignations. The MQM is making excuses for its terrible behaviour and owe their constituencies a better explanation than just a hurt ego.
MQM also criticised Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah’s lack of initiative to form a monitoring committee to oversee the ongoing Karachi operation. This can be conceded to the MQM, but beyond this, it has become very hard to support the MQM and take what they are saying at face value.
The demand for a new province in Sindh, if pursued seriously, could have serious repercussions on the country’s stability. A wiser course would be to ask for greater powers at the division level. This would decentralise power in the country and allow the MQM to work for the betterment of its supporters in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions. Is the aim really the betterment of the people of Sindh?
The division of provinces must be done for administrative measures only. It should not be based on hatred, revenge or making specific areas for particular groups or ethnicities. The MQM is a party whose office bearers and parliamentarians can be found walking and living amongst people and are approachable. The MQM provides free food and health care for many, try to keep city clean and provide amenities whenever they get chance, they listen to people’s grievances and win elections. However, the leadership is stuck in its own daydreams and will lose the traction they have at the grass roots. In the current movement of the MQM, many will see a foreign hand. Demands for a new province from a powerful majority party reek of a desire for an unstable Pakistan and future secession. Altaf Hussain has proven by his incendiary speeches that he cannot be trusted. Can we trust the MQM?