After high drama, MQM ‘boycotts’ its boycott

ISLAMABAD / KARACHI:  While the ruling party’s sights would have been set on a possible sabotage by the opposition, the first threat to a historic moment for the president came at the hands of a coalition partner.

However, for yet another time, after high drama, sources said the situation was pulled back from the brink in a manner that has become the hallmark of the president.
After staging strong protests in the Sindh and National assemblies on Friday, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), an ally in the ruling coalition, announced that it will boycott the joint session of Parliament in protest against what it called increasing incidents of extortion in Karachi.
However, according to sources, the party took back its decision in light of assurances given by President Zardari in a phone call to MQM chief Altaf Hussain.
There was no official announcement regarding the reversal of the boycott decision.
The initial decision was made in a joint session of the MQM’s Coordination Committee in London and Karachi.
Late on Friday, however, the president called Altaf Hussain – and assured him that he had taken note of the situation, and had directed Interior Minister Rehman Malik to take action on the matter, sources said. Zardari also assured the MQM leader that he himself would call a meeting to address MQM’s concerns.
Altaf assured President Zardari that his party would support him if he took action against extortionists and criminals in Karachi.
The assurance worked – and, in a late night development, the MQM said that its lawmakers would attend the address, sources added.
The MQM had cited the government’s alleged ‘inaction’ and ‘non-serious attitude’ towards its demands to step up against extortionists in Karachi as the reason for its boycott.
Earlier protests
Earlier the National Assembly witnessed an uproar supporting the MQM’s demands – by both the opposition and the MQM itself. While the government remained silent, refusing to make any contradictory or reconciliatory announcement, the MQM amped up its protest.
“We will not let the president deliver his speech if the government does not take notice of the issue,” warned MQM lawmaker Waseem Akhtar, as angry lawmakers chanted: “stop extortion” and “save Karachi”.
The protests continued for about half an hour after the question hour session till Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi prorogued the house.
“We have approached every responsible person in the government, have given lists of identified criminals but there is no action,” Akhtar claimed.
He added that Karachi was a major contributor to the national exchequer and warned not to ‘expect this contribution’ if things remained unchanged. Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khursheed Shah expressed his bewilderment over the MQM’s protest saying, “I cannot understand against whom you are raising slogans”.
“Everyone knows who is behind extortion in Karachi … we need MQM’s support to curb the menace,” he said while urging the MQM to be realistic.
He also welcomed a suggestion by Sheikh Rohael Asghar of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for the constitution of a committee to probe the matter and report back to the house. “Those (political parties) who are found guilty (of extortion) have no right to be in politics,” he added.
Sardar Mehtab Abbasi from the PML-N said that all coalition partners share the Sindh government but the ruling PPP was mysteriously silent.
Questioning the interior minister’s credibility, Abbasi underlined the need for an ‘operation’ against those involved in extortion, irrespective of their party affiliations.
Advocate Parvez Khan from the Awami National Party (ANP) questioned MQM members, saying, “What steps have you taken to improve the law and order situation of Karachi?”
The MQM had supporters, but some cautious ones.
Sheikh Waqas Akram from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) was almost prophetic in his support. He sought a commitment from the MQM to not back off under the guise of ‘reconciliation’ with the PPP.
“Do not go for reconciliation with the PPP on extortion the way you have been doing in the past; otherwise we will believe your protests are nothing but a drama,” he said.
MQM’s firestorm of protests resonated in the Sindh Assembly as well, with Friday’s proceedings marred by intense demonstrations on the floor of the house. There were heated arguments between PPP and MQM members, while the latter left their seats, raised slogans and even carried banners in front of the speaker’s dais.
“Despite our complaints, some elements are supporting these criminals, giving them a free hand to loot and plunder Karachi’ites,” said MQM’s Raza Haroon.
“We want to tell these criminals who have the full backing of jagirdars (feudal lords) that this is Karachi, a city of Altaf bhai.”
The MQM also called for a “peaceful protest” in Karachi today (Saturday) against what it terms to be the “autocratic and undemocratic attitude” of the PPP’s representatives in the Sindh Assembly.