Sattar faces uphill task to prove doubters wrong

ISLAMABAD: Apart from shoring up his newfound, novel position in the hardcore rank and file of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and earning universal acceptability, well-meaning Dr Farooq Sattar faces an uphill challenge to prove his doubters wrong regarding the genuineness and realness of the mission he has embarked upon.

While saner elements largely believe Farooq Sattar’s words and urge that the MQM under his leadership should be given political space and chance to corroborate that what he is saying, cynics are loath to take his assertions on the face value and smell a rate in his otherwise welcome volte face.

Their distrust is not without a cause, reason or justification because there is undeniable history and background to it. While in the past Farooq Sattar had been defending even highly inane, mindless and senseless statements and actions of Altaf Hussain being the political face of the MQM for over three decades, his transformation within no time moments after just one exceptional episode of August 22 baffled his detractors, who assert it is impossible that he can change overnight and what he is doing is just trickery, fakery and staged drama.

Disbelievers are not disposed to buy the view that Farooq Sattar has quickly picked up unimaginable courage to challenge Altaf Hussain on his own and not with the agreement and consent of his erstwhile leader.

There are countless examples when the MQM founder had treated every leader, who at one time happened to appear to be very important, like a big nobody and got him humiliated and even slapped by even ordinary party workers to show his awe. Since word go, he had been the most dreaded leader and none ever demonstrated the audacity to disagree with him even slightly in public or private. None in the MQM ever even thought to differ with him.

The detractors are not ready to reconcile to the fact that Farooq Sattar can be acceptable to Altaf Hussain as the head of the MQM Pakistan. It goes without saying that in reality the MQM exists in Pakistan, and Altaf Hussain and a coterie surrounding him in London is the most powerful cabal that has been effectively controlling and running the MQM through a remote control. While he was in Pakistan or has been in London since 1992, he has never allowed any party leader to represent it as its decision maker, a role that he always carved for himself and exercised it menacingly. The cynics are unlikely to agree that Farooq Sattar has suddenly become opposed to Altaf Hussain genuinely.

However, they don’t realize that while an atmosphere of extreme terror and fright had prevailed since MQM’s inception and none ever dared to differ with Altaf Hussain, the way Farooq Sattar had thrown down the gauntlet is not less than a huge change, if not miracle.

But Farooq Sattar has to do a lot and profuse explaining all the time to establish his credentials as the real leader of the MQM Pakistan, who doesn’t need MQM London’s props and doesn’t obey its diktat.

Day in and day out, the new MQM chief is restating, clearing that he has honestly and sincerely disconnected the MQM Pakistan from Altaf Hussain, and he should be trusted and given a chance to further prove that what he is declaring is beyond an iota of doubt and that any association whatsoever with Altaf Hussain would not be restored.

It is a hard fact that different wings and tiers of the MQM had been run by different people with Altaf Hussain, having the total control over each and every layer. A predominant majority of the MQM leaders, who have been publicly representing the party on various forums, did not even have any idea about the command of certain party sections especially militant wing. Such tiers were directly under the command of the MQM London.

Now a pertinent question arises whether or not the militant arm has been neutralized by Farooq Sattar and made by him to do normal politics instead of the illegality it has indulged in the past. However, it has been clearly noted that Farooq Sattar was unsure, uncertain, shaky and even scared on the day he addressed the first press conference distancing himself from Altaf Hussain and announcing that from now on the MQM Pakistan will independently take its decisions. He was fearful of the response of Altaf Hussain loyalists. But as the time passed, he started showing more confidence particularly when there has been no violent reaction from any MQM wing. As he has kept ditching Altaf Hussain, there has been complete calm in Karachi. Still, he needs to take elaborate precautions and measures for his personal safety and security.

Happily, the powers that be maintained their policy of allowing the MQM to engage in routine politics and get its due public mandate, which was witnessed once again in the oath-taking of the new Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar. No hurdles were created in the way of his swearing-in. However, his functioning from the prison will certainly be a big embarrassment, which will persist till the time he will be behind bars on grave criminal charges. The mayor also read the new reality and declared that he was with Farooq Sattar led MQM.