Senior leaders working to bring Afaq back into MQM

LONDON: Senior leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) are very keen to bring back Chairman Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM) Afaq Ahmed into the Muttahida’s fold and efforts remain underway in this regard at various levels, credible sources within the party have confirmed.
Afaq Ahmed, who is in Saudi Arabia at the moment and plans to visit London shortly, has brushed aside the reports of him joining Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) as unfounded but The News has learnt from the Muttahida sources in London and Karachi that several people have been tasked to continue holding negotiations with Afaq Ahmed so that a united image of the party could be presented.
Afaq Ahmed-led Mohajir Qaumi Movement is an irritant for the dominant MQM and has caused headaches to the party leadership now and then. Members linked to both groups have fought deadly battles in the city on several occasions. Afaq Ahmed is counted amongst those people who were the first ones to support Altaf Hussain when he founded the All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation but the two later fell out when the military operation began in early 90s and Aamir Khan and Afaq Ahmed went on to set up their own party.
Sources have told The News that the key MQM leaders working hard to bring Afaq Ahmed on board include Aamir Khan, the former leader of the MQM who later on defected to the MQM-Altaf and is a leading influential figure in the party, Incharge Ladies Wing MQM Kishwar Zehra, MQM’s Coordination Committee Member Syed Amin-ul-Haque, and MPA Zareen Majeed. The efforts of these figures have full support from the MQM’s Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Nadeem Nusrat, Haider Abbas Rizvi and Wasay Jalil. They all are of the view that Afaq Ahmed’s rehabilitation into the part is necessary and he will be helpful for the party in Pakistan’s biggest city.
The sources said that several meetings had taken place between the two groups in Karachi, Dubai and the communication lines between the two groups remained open. “A few days ago almost all arrangements were in place but then Afaq Ahmed opted out. He put off the decision of announcing to join the MQM-Altaf openly for some unknown reasons, causing distress to his former colleagues from his own faction. Now the communication has resumed again and it is hoped that there will be a major development soon,” said a senior source, adding: “A breakthrough is expected when Afaq Ahmed is in London.”
The source said that during Afaq Ahmed’s London visit, important meetings would be held at a neutral venue and a team had already been put in place to negotiate with him.“A strong faction within the MQM-A is supportive of Afaq’s joining the party and Altaf Hussain has given his blessings to these efforts,” said the source.