MQM As A Terrorist Organization Since 1992 Part 4A of 4 - Sindhi ...

JLr I'Jtl1 i, I {r r9 !/r vqrirrq!,v,,
dates l)acK to December
1988, when the parly decrded
to share power with the
By Husain Aaser
People's Party government.
After coming to power, it is
alleged that the Biharifaction
of the party, headed by
Saleem Shehzad, started
asserting its importance by
TheBattleWithin
deputrng Bihari youth to key
positrons at the area level.
Soon after the break-up of the
alliance with the PPP,
however, the MOM, with the
help of its militant wing
headed by Aamer Khan and
Afaq Ahmed, launched a
The recent sacking o f an MQM nrinister rs the culrnrnatron of a bitter feud
campaign of destruction to
between the militantwing and top leadership of the party. The rancorous
dismantle the government for
iis betrayal ol the the MQM.
bust-up now threatens the very survivalof the MQM,,,
Until the fall of the PPP
w
ffi
government on August 6, the
n the night of min15lsr. Badar lqbat, Nearty ySlimdS.
militanl wing was in total
February 9, the 3ll the cfltce-bearers of the The MOlv4's vrce chairman command of all the atfairs of
MOM chief , MQM's central cabrnsl. and VNA. Saleem Shazad. the party, The realcrack in the
Altaf Hussain, InClUO,ng readerS Ol the v/aS lhe f rrst to come under MOM started appearing
was admitted MOM's mrlrtant wing, Aamrr atlack, $peakrng on the followrng the decisron to jorn
to the Abassi Khan and Afaq Ahmed, were occasron, lqbal asked Shazad the lJl government. The final
Shaheed Hospitai, lt appears present at thts meeting. to tell the rest of the members biow to the faction came when
his condition had suddenly When the members of the how he had arranged for the party's central leadership
deterioraled after he had cab'nel accused Badar lobal 200 000 /upees to soend on decided to change the name
attendeo one of lhe most Of lak'ng ten -nll,p6 r.,JpeeS r.,c, \/alrma. helC in DeCember, of the organisation from
slormy meelrngs ever lo be from the !ranSDorterS'lobby lc .rrc tf lhe cther orooertres he Mohalir to Mutahidda, This
held by lhe MOM's cenlral allOw an ,rrCrCAS€ rn f grgg. ii.g srrpqglly owns rn Karachr and was done not only to enler the
commitlee, Thrs meelrng, held provrncrai mrnrster nol onlv lslamabad, Durrng 16s national political mainslream,
in the aflernoon, drscussed denred ihrs sllggatiqn [ut in drscussron,i both Aamer Khan The party's militant wing
the corruption charges turn blamed olher members of and Af aq Ahmed began siding and a majority of the party's
levelled by the Sindh
the cabrnel of soending the
governrnent aoainst the Darlv s {u^ds with lqbal, At this point, lower cadre vociferously
on buvrng Sf.ahzad accused both of opposed this idea, The militant
party 5 provrncral lransporl pf3OBrlV .1r'g lh'ggyrnq lSyrgh them of takrng 50 mrlli6n wing, whose iaison d'etre was
rUCeeS frOm lhe lnter ServrCeS mohalir nationalism, appeared
Intellrgence (lSl) ts !s5lrqy 16s to be lhe mosl affected. On a
p.esenl fu10M
number of occasrons. bolh ,
Atler tl"rs, rl was a f ree for all. militant leaders reportedly
lryrln 3ll three, rn tUrn, aCCUSing rnformed the party higher-ups
each and every member of the about the resentment brewing
cab,nel of corruption and of over the decision, but this
sce^d;.9 lhe cartv,S money warnrng fell on deaf ears.
for therr CerSOnal garnS. ln the Because of the ongoing ritt
cnangeo atmcsphere, the between Brharis and those
\'!O,ry' chref . Altat Hussarn, from lhe UP. a feeling among
!\,/e- Came unCer aitaCk He the mrlrtant grOup has gained
,vaS 3CCUSeC Cf havrng a Eround that their peopie are
934n9r5h,9 n a holel CWned cnly used for frghtrng wrth the
c)/ nrS brotheT-,6-ig,,v 'n lhe 0Ol,Ce and tO frlljgrlg, whrle the
I.r.,iec S'.ifec Aliaf accelreo Srhgrr5 are Aiiegedly
i,' ih.r:kia;i,, r,: ( I fiali Lnflggn6,ng
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