Advent of Muharram delays Haqiqi’s pre-LB polls rally

Karachi
Following a minor emergence after the onset of the Karachi operation, the Mohajir Qaumi Movement - Haqiqi (MQM-H) chief Afaq Ahmed confirmed the party is planning to hold its first public gathering, ahead of the local bodies poll. The date and venue were, however, yet to be announced.
Initially decided to be be held at the Nishter Park on October 11, the rally was, according to the party chief, postponed due to the advent of Muharram-ul-Haram.
All necessary permissions for the rally had been acquired, while law enforcement agencies’ had also given the party a go-ahead, he claimed. However, added that since Nishter Park happens to be one of the centres of Muharram activities, the time and the venue might have to be changed; a decision regarding that would be announced after consultations with party officials.
Ahead of the LB polls, the MQM-H chief urged Mohajir Community to come out on the day when jalsa is going to be held to show the strength of Urdu speaking people gathered under the banner of Haqqiqi.
Speaking of the Mohajir identity and political enmities surrounding the Urdu-speaking community of the city, Ahmed said the community rapidly progressed after migrating to Pakistan. "The community has produced renowned bureaucrats, intellectuals, soldiers as well as politicians," he said.
However, he blamed Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain for Karachi’s plight stating that he changed the party’s name from Muhajir to Muttahida for his own personal gains, and it was at his hands the community which voted him to power, suffered. “There was not even a single political movement which did not have the participation of Karachiites but the politics of violence brought the city’s progress to a standstill.”
Keeping in consideration the intense rivalry between the MQM and the MQM-H, political analysts seemed to have associated much importance to the public gathering.
Since the start of the Rangers-led operation in the city, the MQM has expressed strong reservations over MQM-H allegedly being patronised by the paramilitary force in order for its cadre to occupy parts of the city. The support was termed to be tantamount to destabilising Karachi by the MQM.
Despite a probable change in the date and venue of the gathering, the MQM-H chief claimed the party supporters were involved in carrying out elaborate arrangements for the Jalsa, which they believed would change the fate of the Mohajir community.