PSP, MQM-P dilemma

The possibility of an agreement between Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pak-Sarzameen Party (PSP) is still there if both agree on common points and start thinking above personal egos, this time without any third party mediation or involvement, if allowed.

Both have strong points to convince each other in negotiations. At present, the only point of disagreement is on the name. MQM-Pakistan wants to retain its name; PSP is ready to drop its name but has strong reservations about the MQM, which it considers as the legacy of Altaf Hussain and his alleged violent politics. What is the way forward and inside story of their talks? In the last eight months, they met for dozens of time and held hours-long discussions. At one point, Anis, who is the president of PSP, was ready to surrender his post, if Sattar agreed on new name of the party.

Sources said that the third party involvement is something slightly more than mere mediation, and during most of their meetings, one or two outsiders remained present. Now, what is the interest of the third party or the establishment, which is looking for an alternative political force minus MQM-London or its founder. At the same time, it is aware of the possible fallout in urban Sindh, if the two parties did not reach an accord.

Sources said while the mediators are well aware of the possible outcome of their division and divided mandate, they are also alert of the situation that the party that had the capacity to fill the vacuum at the moment is not Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), but Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which are looking for five to six seats in Karachi and at least two to three in Hyderabad and Sukkur. Perhaps, they don't want to give too much space to PPP either.

Both MQM and PSP leaders know each others as they have grown together in one party and that too from their teen age. Most of their workers also know each other, as they have worked in the same sectors and units. They all know strengths and weaknesses of each other, even the political strategy. So, there is lot of common among them to at least talk.

After meeting with and talking to leaders of both the parties, one got an impression that none of them had abandoned or even want to abandon Muhajir politics. However, the MQM wants to reform the same party, and believes that people still have romance with the name, flag and symbol and by retaining the name with a new approach can block the way for the MQM-London.

The PSP leaders, on the other hand, believe that doing politics with the same name would only add to the problem and difficulties for those Muhajirs, who are either in jail, missing or living in exile, but to return.

They are so familiar with each other and their tactics that they could guess their next move. For instance, MQM, Dr Farooq Sattar and PSP, Anis Qaimkhani had worked together for almost three decades and same could be said about others. .

Mustafa Kamal, Raza Haroon, Anis advocate on one side and Ms Kishwar Zehra, Kanwar Naveed or Shabbar Qaimkhani on the other had also knows each other's politics. So were veterans like Sardar Ahmad or Aftab Sheikh.

Interestingly, they also know what went wrong between 2007 to 2013 and later when the fallen apart. They have been so close to each other that during PPP government, four of them Dr Farooq Sattar, Anis Qaimkhani, Mustafa Kamal and Dr Ishratul Ibad, went to London together to convince Altaf Hussain to stop making speeches as it is causing problems for the MQM in Pakistan.

Kamal and Anis, after leaving MQM took almost two and half years, to decide to return and challenge MQM, founder despite heaving criticism and perception that the establishment had formed PSP. When MNAs and MPAs of MQM, joined them the very perception become stronger in the backdrop of what happened in the past during the formation of MQM-H.

After August 22, the MQM faced another split and this time it was more a revolt and coup led by Dr Farooq Sattar. He not only retained the name but also removed the founder's name for the party.

But, last week Mustafa Kamal dropped the bombshell, when he disclosed how MQM (Pakistan was established in Rangers Headquarters, something which DG, rangers denied.

The talks between MQM-Pakistan and PSP started about seven or eight months back through an indirect contact between Dr Farooq Sattar and Anis Qaimkhani with the mediation from the establishment, ended in a fiasco within 24 hours after a joint press conference of the party heads, Dr Sattar and Mustafa Kamal.

The manner in which it ended followed by outburst from both Sattar and Kamal, also caused embarrassment to the establishment as both confessed the third party role in the talks. This perhaps has now created a new situation and it would now be interesting to see whether they will meet again and if so, with or without third party mediation.

The interest of the establishment and why they mediated or brought them across the table was not see return of violent politics. One version came from the sitting DG rangers, who denied playing any role in the formation of the MQM-P as accused by Mustafa Kamal, but confirmed that talks between the two parties were going on for the past eight months and they only facilitated them.

They don't want return of MQM-London and are quite firm in blocking it in the next elections as they don't want return of violent politics of the 1990s.

In the last three years, all activities of the MQM-London had been blocked particularly after MQM founder’s Aug-22 anti-Pakistan slogans and repeated speeches.

Earlier, in 2015, his live TV coverage had been banned by the Lahore High Court, because of his repeated attacks on the state and Pakistan Army.

This was followed by the closure of its headquarters i.e. Nine-Zero, Azizabad and also adjacent offices like Khursheed Memorial Hall, MPA Hostel and even Jinnah ground, which always been used for MQM public meeting.

After Aug 22, MQM-P started the process to delink itself from MQM-London and when Dr Farooq Sattar was arrested by the rangers and was asked by the top official about MQM, Pakistan chapter stance, he assured them that party would not re-establish its link with London and would act as a 'new party.'

However, he also asked that the rangers and intelligence agencies to give him and party space and time to regroup and also asked them to stop suspecting every MQM activists and leaders as MQM-London loyal.

Dr Sattar, in his first contact with Anis, invited PSP leaders to merge with MQM (Pak) and was of the view that together they could be in a better position to challenge MQM-London. It was soon after he announced MQM-Pakistan.

In a bid to assure the establishment that they had distanced themselves from London, MQM twice brought resolution against MQM, founder, one in National Assembly and one in Sindh Assembly, demanding action and trial of Altaf Hussain for his anti-Pakistan speeches.

Sources despite the presence of the third party, they allowed free talks between MQM and PSP leadership, which include Dr Farooq Sattar, Aamir Khan, Faisal Sabzwari, Khawaja Izhar ul Hada, Khanwar Naveed from one side and Mustafa Kamal, Anis Qaimkhani on the other side. At times, Raza Haroon, Dr Saghir and Anis advocate also attended the meetings.

The PSP had also suggested a joint struggle for ‘general amnesty’ for those MQM, activists or militants, who are either in jail, missing or even living in exile and wanted to return.

The PSP is also concern over the approach of the establishment in dealing with the cases of Muhajir militants. "We have a list of some 280 missing persons, 1400 in prison and some 3,000 living in exile but want to return. Why we want general amnesty like the one given in Balochistan or in FATA, because they want to live a normal life. If justice is not done, I am scared we will push them to take other course, which we don't want, Anis Qaimkhan told me.

Once former DG Rangers General Bilal had told the writer that many MQM alleged militants, who are living in exile including South Africa, contacted him and wanted to return. He assured them that they would undergo a legal process but, their arrest would be made public.

He had also confirmed of meeting MQM-P leadership quite frequently prior to Aug 22nd, episode while the former Governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad also had a role in defusing the situation. Prior to MQM, founder's anti-state slogan and speech, Dr Ibad was in constant touch with London, in a bid to pursue him to stop his anti-State and anti-army speeches as it added to MQM problems.

Thus, the Muhajir card still alive and exist in both camps but with different approach. Both have strong points in their defence and the way out could be evolved if they restart political negotiations with an open mind and this time without, third party mediation. If they failed, free and fair elections will determine who can really represent, urban Sindh.

The writer is the senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang

Twitter: @MazharAbbasGEO