Re: The new Benazir-MQM love fest
MQM, PPP attempting to patch up
While the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) are attempting to come together, there is a very palpable level of hesitation and concern regarding the ‘ifs and buts.’ However, common friends of both the parties are making hectic efforts to bring them to an understanding. Nonetheless, informed sources told The News that both parties have reservations against one another. The situation in 2007 is very different to that of 2002 when Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Nisar Khuhro had gone, personally, to Nine Zero to discuss the formation of a coalition government. Back then, things could not take shape as the MQM had demanded that the PPP publicly apologise for what they termed to be the extrajudicial killings of their workers during the PPP’s government. The former interior Minister Naseerullah Babar and Rana Maqbool Sheikh are the two central personalities that figured in the extrajudicial killings, MQM insiders said. The contacts between the MQM and PPP are being made at both the Sindh and national levels and some important personalities of the government are taking interest in the effort. Naseerullah Babar has already left PPP, based on his dislike for the deal between the PPP chairperson and the military government, which resulted in the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
Informed sources said that, for the first time, the PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto has appreciated the MQM’s role during the PPP rally and also lauded the role of the Haq Parast City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal. Sources, believing that time heals all wounds, said that the MQM is now showing some flexibility in this regard and that messages were being exchanged that were aimed at shunning differences and to get all political forces working together for the promotion of democracy. MQM chief Altaf Hussain has offered unconditional support to the PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto in the effort to defeat terrorism. Moreover, these two leaders have now stopped giving statements against each other. Altaf offered such support while condoling with Benazir during a telephone call from London and expressed his deep and profound grief over the death of close to 150 people, including PPP workers, during the rally on her arrival at Karachi on October 18. He told Benazir that all progressive forces need to work in unison to eliminate extremism and for the stability of the democratic progress, which was in the larger interest of the country. He stated that the rally blasts were a naked act of terrorism, which deserves the severest condemnation. He said that occurrences of political differences during the electoral process would be natural, but, despite this, it is now inevitable that there be unity and sincerity in the effort against extremism committed under the guise of religion.
Altaf said that the people of Pakistan, particularly the people of Sindh, generally believe in religious tolerance and are against religious extremism.
Benazir, applauding the efforts of the local administration, especially City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, expressed her personal gratitude, and also on behalf of the leaders and workers of the PPP, for the cooperation during the rally.
Altaf further said that the MQM Rabita Committee and MQM supporters equally share her grief and sorrow with the bereaved families. MQM insiders said the Muttahida election campaign is in full swing and that the party strictly believes that the general elections should be held on time as postponement could derail the democratic process. MQM has welcomed the announcement made by President General Pervez Musharraf that all parties would be taken into confidence while forming the interim government before the upcoming general elections. Political analysts in the city claimed that both MQM and PPP would take time in coming closer adding that this will be done by the common friends of the parties.