The end of Altaf Hussain?

The ugly side of Altaf Hussain emerged again. The MQM chief, knowing full well what his words are capable of causing, went off on another tirade, this time condemning news channels by name, inciting violence against them, and, worst of all, insulting and abusing Pakistan – the country he fled nearly three decades ago for the safe confines of London. The response from the MQM cadres was sadly predictable but no less shocking. They led violent protests against two media organisations, which were followed by a round of arrests by the Rangers. We had to witness the unedifying spectacle of parliamentarians being arrested by a paramilitary organisation. Why, one wonders, did Altaf choose to be so provocative now, at a time when the party seemed set on taking a political – rather than violent – course in response to the Rangers operation and when the matter of local powers in Karachi was expected to see settlement in just a matter of days? Given the rumours swirling about Altaf, there could be many possible explanations but the answer may have been provided by senior MQM leader Farooq Sattar, who was among those arrested by the Rangers, in a press conference the day after Altaf’s inexcusable remarks. Sattar, flanked by other MQM leaders like Nasreen Jalil, Arshad Vohra and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui in a show of party unity, for the first time outright condemned an Altaf speech and even questioned his mental state.

Sattar’s remarkable press conference came amid reports of disunity in the party’s ranks, talk of the establishment and the Rangers trying to ban the MQM and then Altaf’s seeming act of political suicide. He was careful with his words but Sattar seemed to endorse the minus-one formula. If Altaf is indeed being cut loose then this is a belated realisation by the MQM leaders that his increasingly erratic behaviour should not be tolerated. Even then, Altaf may be difficult to cut loose, or so it is thought. It is felt that the Rabita Committee does not necessarily speak for the pro-Altaf sections in rank and file, which is why perhaps Sattar left himself enough wiggle room by saying the leadership in the country was not leaving the MQM and that if another, different, kind of MQM was being run from abroad he and those with him might find some other way. Whether Sattar’s stance throws Mustafa Kamal’s Pak Sarzameen Party into well-deserved irrelevance has yet to be seen. What can be definitely said is that the first and perhaps the most decisive step towards the minus-one formula has been taken.