MQM, RAW And The Military Establishment!

Following the series of outbursts by Mustafa Kamal and his other group members, the most common discussion in the talk shows on Pakistan channels has been over the alleged connection of MQM & its leadership with the Indian agency RAW. Most of the anchorpersons as well as MQM`s political rivals, are demanding to set up a judicial commission to probe the same. However, some relatively impartial analysts consider these charges merely allegations unless and until proven in the court of law. So the most important question is, can these charges really be proved in the Pakistani courts?

Apparently, whatever Mustafa Kamal and his company blamed MQM & Altaf Hussain for, themselves seem to be having no proofs of the same. The Federal Interior Minister of Pakistan Ch. Nisar rightly asked them to produce the supporting evidences if they are true. However, Mustafa Kamal has not yet announced to do that.

Anyway, FIA has initiated its activities to investigate the alleged links of MQM with RAW. The DG FIA (Sindh) first telephoned and then had a formal meeting with Mustafa Kamal and sought his co-operation in the prob. At this point, it should be kept in mind that present DG FIA Sindh Shahid Hayat has already served as Additional IG of Sindh and, further, he was the same person who, like SSP Rao Anwar, had put similar charges on MQM. He, in a formal press conference, had claimed to have arrested Indian agents politically affiliate with MQM. If he was true, then why the hell does he need any more “co-operation” or “evidences” to prove MQM`s connection with India?

Like Mustafa Kamal, FIA has also contacted Safaraz Merchant in London to probe his “revelations” in the alleged funding by RAW to MQM. Frankly, Sarfaraz Merchant`s claims are mainly based on the “information” that the Scot Land Yard has shared with him. But in contrast to his claim, in money laundering as well as Dr. Imran Farooq murder cases, we have witnessed that SLY has always avoided commenting on their on-going investigations as per their policy. Pakistanis know that too much was claimed and propagated regarding the said cases by the Pakistani media with reference to the SLY`s sources, yet they neither confirmed it nor refuted which was an strict adherence to their policy. However, whatever they deemed was essential, they officially communicated through press releases. Keeping in view this, how is possible that the SLY unofficially shared their investigation progress, findings and even handed over official documents about an (still) un-accused (MQM/Altaf Hussain) with another person (Safaraz Merchnat) who is also being investigated in the same case?    

Importantly, Safaraz Merchant has himself made it clear that he had not accused MQM and Altaf Hussain in his interview and that he would just share the information he has with the Pakistani officials (FIA). So, the question is, will his (to be shared) “information” have any sort of credibility, and further, can that be converted into a reliable and concrete evidence to formally accuse them?

Impartial analysts do not look to be much optimistic for this. Furthermore, whatever expectation was there, that too, evaporated when they saw an advertisement in the national news papers from FIA appealing common people to share information or proofs (if any) regarding the “revelations” Sarfaraz Merchant made regarding RAW`s connection. That ad was a kind of in-public confession by the FIA that it does not expect the required stuff from Sarfaraz Merchant in support of his claims against MQM. 

Taking into account all these, it clearly appears that no one is in the position to prove the RAW-connection charges on MQM in any court of law. This charge too once again, like the rest, will remain merely an allegation against the most popular liberal party of Urban Sindh. In this regard, we can take the example of Brigadier Imtiaz`s on-air revelation according to which, Altaf Hussain refused to accept the money sent from the establishment. Apparently, that money was an offer of friendship from the military establishment, but in fact, it was a trap for MQM`s founder. If he had received that, the same could now be used as evidence against him. However, Altaf Hussain`s honesty helped him fail the evil trap. 
That is why impartial spectators, considering the influence of the military establishment in Pakistan and also its rivalry with Altaf Hussain and MQM, say that if there had been any credibility in their self-introduced & propagated allegations and also if there had been any reliable proofs in the support, it would not have wasted any time to bring them to justice like Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. It would have easily closed their chapters from the Pakistani politics LEGALLY as an Army Chief General Asif Nawaz vowed to in 1992. 

To tell the truth, the victimization that MQM has been facing since the inception in the forms operations, enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings, mass killings of Urdu speaking people, patronage of political and ethnic rivals and also pressuring its leaders to separate themselves from the founder Altaf Hussain (under minus one formula) is in fact due to the only reason that the establishment does not have any evidences against it. Therefore, it has no other option, but to play foul games and adopt unfair means to dent MQM and remove Altaf Hussain from the country`s politics because it will definitely lose if it plays fair game with him. But, will all these tactics succeed? Will the dream of military establishment ever come true against the Right Man and MQM? The history shows a big NO to it and the prevailing scenario in urban Sindh seems to be endorsing it. It means that the establishment will have to bite the dust once again.