Summary The Muttahida Quami Movement has started a 4-day symbolic hunger strike
Dunya News Report (Shahzad Badar)
With the Rangers operation moving positively in the right direction and most of the criminals and Bhatta collectors behind bars, Karachi is heaving a sigh of relief. The business community is happy and so are the people.
Serious crimes like kidnapping for ransom and target killing are under control reflecting the success the Rangers have achieved after a long decade of patrolling Karachi. The crime graph which was shooting towards the sky is coming down, thanks to the timely intervention of the Army Chief General Raheel Sharif the Rangers have the requisite powers they need to clean up the city despite vociferous protests from the Sindh assembly and local politicians.
The new 30 days extension in the powers of the Rangers despite protests from the PPP is a good sign for breaking the nexus between crime, corruption and politics.
The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) apparently has been calmed down by the Rangers- the recent call for a “token hunger strike” is a testimony to the effectiveness of the Rangers operations. The Muttahida Quami Movement has started a 4-day symbolic hunger strike at Karachi Press Club from 19th February to 22nd February to protest against “unconstitutional and undemocratic ban on speeches, news, views and interviews of MQM Chief Altaf Hussain”.
Compared to its previous protests this reaction can be categorized as mild but unfortunately a blunder was committed when a press release from the MQM office in London urged people to store food for 15 days creating a panic among the people. The MQM leader Altaf Hussain appealed to the people to be very careful for the next two weeks causing alarm.
In a statement issued from the London secretariat, “MQM Chief advised people, especially diabetics, blood pressure and cardiac patients should immediately pile up a stock of medicines at least for fortnightly. He said that medicines and food should be preserved for any untoward situation”.
Such a message coming from the MQM chief is bound to create panic among the people but thanks to the immediate response from the Rangers the situation was under control and no street protests, or shutter down strike was observed. The Rangers had once again succeeded in restoring peace and stability in the city.
Analysts are of the view that the local MQM cadre has little power to influence such political blunders. The office in London decides and they are just required to implement the orders.
The ban on Altaf Hussain’s speeches by the court is certainly curtailing freedom of speech but when speeches becomes controversial, toxic and create turmoil in society some action had to be taken by the court.
Altaf Hussain due to his long stay in U.K appears to have absorbed and adopted a new meaning of freedom of speech which the Pakistani audience particularly his political opponents are not willing to accept.
Altaf Hussain knows the art of swaying people with his speeches and on occasion perhaps due to slip of tongue or emotions unconsciously offends people across the country. All provincial assemblies are on record protesting his remarks. Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed had to sack two MQM ministers over remarks made by Altaf Hussain’s in his speech. The remarks were labeled as ‘anti-Pakistan’ statements by the AJK government.
On another occasion Altaf Hussain is said to have provoked the law enforcement agencies followed by a plea to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the United Nations to send their troops to Karachi.
A ban on his speech has been challenged in the court and a decision is pending but the MQM it appears is following the establishment’s sentiments and not offending it. The only irritant remains the minus one formula which the local MQM cadre is not able to meet. The Rangers have taken care of the hard line militant wing and their operation which is moving in a fair and transparent way will convince saner elements in all political parties to go for a reform. THE END
