NA-246____Who Is The Real Rival of MQM?

 By now, there has mounted so much heat between PTI and MQM over the by election in NA-246. Provoking statements, responding slogans, resulted clashes and then registered FIR`s against each other tell the story of the extremely tense atmosphere in constituency. Not only the supporters and voters of both parties, but also the political analysts as well as the other political parties are anxiously awaiting the results of this election.

When we have a look at the electoral history of this constituency, it becomes very obvious that since its inception in 80`s, MQM has been the winner here. In almost all the previous elections, its nominated candidates secured this seat with so big margins that it seemed as if there was no competition here. Question, what is new now that analysts and journalist are calling a “tough competition” in the MQM-vacated seat?

 

Apparently, there is nothing new that can cause any political threat for MQM in the by-election except PTI factor, as claimed by some traditionally anti-MQM analysts and anchorpersons. It is true that since late 2012, PTI had emerged, regardless of who was behind that, as a weave and started being considered as a new stake holder in the Pakistani politics. However, the 2013`s general elections set the maximum level of its political strengthen in terms of votes and the resulted. Like the rest of country, in Karachi too, PTI`s could controversially showed its political presence only in one constituency (NA-250) especially in the scenario in which Taliban terrorists were bombing MQM, ANP and PPP in favor of PTI, PML-N and JI.

More importantly, whatever support PTI leadership was claiming to have gained in Karachi in 2013`s general elections greatly evaporated when by-elections were held in July 2013 in four constituencies in which all of its candidates badly got defeated by MQM. Interestingly, those constituencies were not so strong as NA-246, yet MQM easily knocked PTI down completely. Analyzing these facts and the gradually decreasing its popularity all over the country, does it look logical to call PTI a competitor to MQM in Azizabad? When no, why is PTI`s Imran Ismail being projected as a contemporary to Kunwar Naveed Jamil? Why is so much hype being created for him in the upcoming NA-246 by election?

In is on record that in 1993, after the general elections had been announced in the country, there was generated similar political heat in Karachi. Those days, the actual tension was between MQM and Haqiqi group. Since Haqiqi group was deployed in Karachi in army trucks, most of the areas of Karachi like Malir, Korangi, Landhi, Lines Areas, Liaquatabad and Orangi Town had been made no-go areas for MQM. So even to run their election campaigns, MQM`s candidates and leaders were not able to go in because of security reasons. 
Dozens of its works were kidnapped, tortured and killed for this reason. MQM leadership tried to call attention to all the concerned people and authorities, but no action was taken to provide equal chance for it to contest elections. As a result, finally MQM leadership decided to boycott the elections. Revealing the background, MQM`s leadership told that an officer from a sensitive institution phoned in London secretariat and urged not to contest elections in the Haqiqi-occupied areas. But, when MQM refused to accept this, its workers were brutally targeted despite the army on roads and, consequently, MQM had to go for boycott.   

On the polling day, the voting turnout remained very low due to which international observers refused to declare those general elections fair. Having come under pressure, the military establishment had to allow MQM to participate in the to-be–held elections for provincial assemblies. When MQM participated, it easily retained all of its seats without having run its formal campaign. Here it is worth noticing that after 19 June 1992, MQM had been prohibited to enter Haqiqi-held cantonment areas. But, after the security assurances from the army officials, when MQM leaders and workers staged rallied in the No-Go areas, no one dared to even touch them. This highlighted the bitter fact that the military establishment was actually controlling those areas.  

Anyway, the low turnout due to its boycott and the tremendous victory in the provincial assembly elections after its participation not only proved that MQM`s vote bank was intact, but also the exposed the reality of Haqiqi`s political support in people. Question is why was MQM forced to leave seats for Hqiqi when it had no public support?

In fact, there were two main reasons behind that strategy.

1-Military establishment wanted to show Haqiqi`s presence in the city to prove its claim right that MQM had lost popularity;

2-Secondly, it wanted to prove that their targeting MQM, in the disguise of operation clean up, was endorsed by people.   

But, very unfortunately, the 93`s elections results completely failed all the plans and their objectives.

Now, taking into account the mischievously developed scenario in Karachi regarding NA-246 by-elections, it looks to be the repetition of what MQM was made to face during 1993`s elections. This time too, MQM is under-attack in the name of operation and the newly patronized Haqiqi group (PTI) is being promoted as a political threat to MQM. And of course just like in 93, the credibility of operation is morally at stake till the NA-246 election results. Obviously, if MQM wins this seat again, the position of military establishment backing the Rangers-led operation against MQM would be badly damaged. This is the biggest reason why establishment is so much focusing on NA-246 elections.

PTI`s so high claims about its future victory in NA-246, provoking statements from Imran Khan, disrespecting the Shohoday-e-Yadgar at Jinnah ground, special coverage to Imran Ismail`s movement by media and, on top of all, the “dramatic episodes” continuously being released from the “cells” are undeniable proofs that the establishment is once again playing its filthy game to highjack MQM`s mandate in the city. In other words, this is not PTI, but the establishment which is competiting with MQM in NA-246.

But, these evil forces always ignore the fact that MQM is not a party formed in a lavish drawing room of an establishment-backed politician or bureaucrat like PTI, PML-N or JI, but in the lawn of a public university by a middle class young man Altaf Hussain who devoted his whole life to struggling for his people. This is the reason why no state operations could either crush MQM or lessen the love & respect of Altaf Hussain from people`s hearts. However, still if the racist forces are in the mood to try the same old “recipe” with their new test tube baby (PTI) in Karachi, then they should be ready to face worse disgrace than in 1993…Insha Allah.