KARACHI: The ongoing internal rift within the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has deepened, evolving from a two-group standoff into a visible three-way power struggle, prompting Karachi police and law enforcement agencies to increase vigilance to maintain law and order in the city.
According to reporter covering political beat, fresh differences have emerged between the groups led by Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Dr. Farooq Sattar.
Sources said the Dr. Farooq Sattar-led group has demanded that Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui take a firm stance on the matter of Kamran Tessori’s governorship, resign from the federal ministry, and hand over the ministry portfolio to Dr. Farooq Sattar.
The internal differences became public when the Farooq Sattar group boycotted MQM-P’s public gatherings held in Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas on Saturday and Sunday.
Sources within the party revealed that several senior MQM-P leaders attempted to persuade Dr. Farooq Sattar to attend the gatherings, but their efforts remained unsuccessful.
As per insiders, the MQM-P is currently divided into three distinct camps — Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui Group, Mustafa Kamal Group and Dr. Farooq Sattar Group. Among them, the Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui group is still considered organizationally the strongest.
Despite open opposition from the other two factions, Dr. Siddiqui is said to retain his grip on the party’s organizational structure and continues to dominate.
Senior police officials, who are closely monitoring the political developments, said that while the dispute remains an internal political matter so far, the district police have been directed to remain vigilant in sensitive areas of Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas to pre-empt any untoward situation arising from workers of rival groups.
Police sources said no untoward incident has been reported so far in connection with the internal rift, and the situation remains under observation.
Meanwhile, political analysts observing MQM’s internal politics believe that the ongoing infighting is benefiting anti-MQM political forces. They point to Saturday’s rally of Mohajir Qaumi Movement Chairman Afaq Ahmed in Landhi, which was reportedly larger in scale than MQM-P’s Shah Faisal Colony gathering held on Sunday.
It is noteworthy that two groups of MQM-P attempted to demonstrate their respective street power by holding separate gatherings in two different cities on the same day, rather than focusing on political opponents — a move that, observers say, ultimately benefited Afaq Ahmed.
Afaq Ahmed’s show of strength in Landhi has signaled that he remains a relevant factor in Mohajir politics and cannot be ignored, analysts added.
