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Altaf Hussain (Pakistani politician)

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This article is about the founder and leader of MQM. For the journalist, see Altaf Husain.
Altaf Hussain
الطاف حسین
233×303px
Born17 September1953
Karachi,Pakistan
EducationBachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm)
SpouseFaiza Altaf
ChildrenAfzaa Altaf
Parent(s)Nazeer Hussain,Khursheed Begum

Altaf Hussain (Urdu: الطاف حسین) is the leader and founder of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) of Pakistan. He was born on September 17, 1953 in Karachi. Karachi is the largest city, port and cultural, economical, philantropic, educational, and political hub of Pakistan. Mr. Hussain's father, Mr. Nazir Hussain, and mother, Mrs. Khursheed Begum, both belonged to a religious family of Agra, India. The city is world famous for Taj Mahal. According to the biographical information available from MQM's website, Altaf Hussain's grandfather was the city Mufti of Agra, and a well known scholar of Islam. Mrs. Khursheed Begum's father Hafiz Rahim Baksh was also well respected in the religious and scholarly circles in the world-famous city.

In early 1970s the large family of Mr. Nazir Hussain moved into a modest house constructed on a 120 square yard (1,080 square feet) lot. The house was later dedicated to MQM's political and welfare activities, and became known as Nine Zero. Nine Zero is MQM's Pakistani Headquarters.


Political ideologies and reputation

Hussain credits himself as the first in Pakistan who introduced a new trend in the political culture by giving a non-feudal based political philosophy. Their ideology is to seek the rights of Mohajirs.[1] The government of Pakistan is now its ally in the current government setup in Sindh. Therefore, he claims that vehement opposition to MQM which he created in 1984, is due to fact that he wants to rid Pakistan from the rule of few to the rule of the people.[2] Mr. Hussain claims that MQM has no prejudice between poor and privileged, and that every worker of the party bears and carries that same respect.[3]

Controversies

Canadian courts deported a member of Altaf's party. An article in National Post alleges that the denial was due to MQM's involvement in terrorist activities.[4] However, MQM has denied any such announcement by any Canadian court, and termed it as "propaganda" due to MQM's speedy inroads in the largest Pakistani province of Punjab, in addition to having solid political presence in the second largest province of Sindh for the past two decades. [5]

It is alleged that while Hussain was a cab driver in Chicago, United States,[6] he was recruited by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan military intelligence) in the United States to form MQM as a counter against Pakistan Peoples Party[7] [8] and the Jamaat-e-Islami. [9]

At a conference in India in May 2005, he said, "Perhaps the idea of Pakistan was dead at its inception, when the majority of Muslims chose to stay back after partition, a truism reiterated in the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. If you need further evidence look at the plight of 300,000 Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh for three decades in their passage to the chosen land. Unwanted by both Bangladesh and Pakistan, led by an unknown destiny."During the conference he expressed his desire to the Indian media that partition should be annuled and Pakistan should be merged with India.Video recordings of his speech are available on the internet. [10]

Altaf Hussain is labelled by his opponents in Pakistan as an Indian agent.[11]. He has dismissed this charge by saying, "it is a Pakistani tradition to call oppositionists Indian agents."[11]After the army's operation cleanup against MQM terrorists,several of MQM's senior leaders fled to India and were alleged to have been financed and supported by RAW. These are the factors which has led the ISI to keep a close watch on MQM and the suspicious activities of its workers.

British citizenship

There is controversy over why Mr. Hussain was allowed British citizenship by Tony Blair's Labour government even though the Conservatives under John Major refused him the same.[12]. Respect MP George Galloway has described him in the House of Commons as "the godfather of Sindh—he is the godfather of Karachi—and he is living high on the hog from the extortion of the citizens of Karachi" and has asked "why he was given citizenship, and why he is being allowed to operate with impunity". [12]

Allegations of violence against rivals

An operation was launched by the Pakistan Army in June 19, 1992. Hussain, had already fled to London 6 months prior to the operation, where he is currently under a self-imposed exile. Warrants were later issued for Altaf Hussain in a case related to the murder of Sindh governor, Hakeem Muhammed Saeed, in which nine other MQM members were sentenced to death.[13]

Mr. Hussain has also been accused of being involved in the kidnapping and torture of a Pakistan Army, Major in 1991. Major Kaleem case was the bedrock of many governmental and military operations against MQM [14]

On February 6, 1998 the Sindh High Court found all defendants innocent and found the case as one "of almost no legal evidence". [15] [16]

On Monday, August 13, 2007, Major Kaleem case was dismissed by a three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi, Hamid Ali Mirza and Ghulam Rabbani. [17]

He has also been accused of directly ordering the bombing of 11 April 2006 Nishtar Park Eid Milad-un-Nabi gathering. The main leaders of Sunni Tehrik Maulana Abbas Qadri, Maulana Iftikhar Bhatti and Maulana Akram Qadri, Hafiz Mohammad Taqi of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Chief of Tehrik Awam Ahl-i-Sunnat Haji Hanif Blue and Anjuman Tulaba-i-Islam central Secretary-General Pir Bux Piral were among the dead. The Sunni Tehrik is considered to be the only Barelvi outfit that departed from the sect’s predominantly moderate posture and eventually became militant like most Deobandi and Ahle Hadith groups. [18] MQM Altaf Group is again widely believed to be involved in that terrorist bombing which killed several ulema and other workers.

After the attack on the Barelvi religious gathering in Karachi in April 2006, which wiped out the senior Sunni Tehrik leadership, the city’s political landscape has changed radically. In the words of a long-time observer of Karachi politics: "Nishtar Park effectively destroyed the Sunni Tehreek as a party and has thus done two things. It has cleared away the main obstacle to the domination of the Deobandi parties in Karachi, and it has set the stage for a confrontation between them and the MQM for the first time. So the status quo has definitely changed and may change even more if the Deobandis encroach on the territory of the Muttahida (Qaumi Movement)."[19]

May 12, 2007 Karachi riots

Main article: 2007 Karachi riots

The MQM has been accused of instigating violence in Karachi on May 12, 2007 that led to the death of at least 42 people.[20] The violence broke out after MQM held a rally against what it called ‘political jugglery in the name of independence of judiciary’. The MQM denied the claims, though its leader indirectly blamed the former justice.[21]

The violence intensified just before the suspended Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry flew into Karachi to address the Sindh High Court Bar Association. He was, however, forced to leave for Islamabad after waiting at the airport for several hours. This was due to the banishment order for his panel of lawyers from the Sindh government.

Lawyers, political parties and media organisations from across the country protested over the involvement of MQM workers in the attack of Aaj TV.[22]

The lawyer of MQM Chief Altaf Hussain’s wife Faiza Gabol said Friday night that there is separation between his client and her husband and this separation had happened two years ago.

According to the lawyer, Faiza said this action from her has its basis in Altaf’s ""insulting" and "callous" attitude towards her, over the past six years. [23] She also alleged that after marriage she was virtually made a prisoner.She alleged that the main goal for Altaf Hussain at the time of the marriage was to acquire UK citizenship.Once that was achieved his attitude started changing leading to separation and now filing of the divorce.[24]


See also

References

  1. ^ "DETAILS OF MANIFESTO" (HTML). MQM. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
  2. ^ MQM Wants to Rid Pakistan of Archaic Political Oligarchies
  3. ^ MQM Does not Believe in Elitism
  4. ^ Canadian Court Denies Application of Asylum of a Member of MQM
  5. ^ MQM Denies that any Canadian Court has Determined that MQM is involved in Terrorism
  6. ^ "Running Karachi - from London" (HTML). The Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
  7. ^ Amir, Ayaz. "A love-hate relationship" (HTML). The Dawn. Retrieved 2004-11-12.
  8. ^ "Wars of the World" (HTML). Wars Online. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
  9. ^ "Troubled Karachi held to ransom" (HTML). Asia Times. Retrieved 2004-06-03.
  10. ^ "Altaf Hussain in India" (HTML). Retrieved 2007-06-15.
  11. ^ a b "SPEAKING OUT IN ANGER" (HTML). www.asiaweek.com. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
  12. ^ a b "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 11 Jun 2007 (pt 0021)" (HTML). www.publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
  13. ^ "Hakeem Saeed Sentence". BBC.
  14. ^ Basis for Operation Against MQM
  15. ^ Sindh High Court Finds all MQM Leaders and Workers Innocent
  16. ^ Sindh High Court Finds Altaf Hussain Innocent
  17. ^ Supreme Court Dismisses the Case
  18. ^ Sunni Tehrik Turn Violent
  19. ^ International Crisis Group interview, Karachi-based journalist Shoaib Hasan, December 2006
  20. ^ "Karachi death toll rises to 42". Daily Times Pakistan. Retrieved 2007-05-13.
  21. ^ "Chief justice responsible". BBC. Retrieved 2007-07-28.
  22. ^ "Journalists protest attack on Aaj TV". Daily Times Pakistan. Retrieved 2007-05-13.
  23. ^ "Separation from MQM chief Altaf Hussain".
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