hmmm interesting.. I just saw their canadian website… apparently it seems that Canadian court can declare an organization as terrorist & then allow them to operate, induct members , place no restrictions on their activities even allow them to hold Annual Conventions the most recent of which just ended on 2nd Aug 2009..,
Lets be honest the verdict you are referring to was a verdict on the immigration appeal of someone associated with MQM in Federal immigration appeals board- the same premise led hundreds of their activist to get asylum in Canada based on their association with MQM & for some it was turned down but the canadian penal court has no jurisdiction nor any business with MQM & therefore has never passed any verdict.
Now, I am actually not an MQM supporter.., infact some people may find this hilarious but if Imran Khan stood for election from my constituency I would probably vote for him- I think he is a decent guy but unfortunately there is no room for decent guys in our politics.
The point that I am constantly (& perhaps not doing it right it seems) trying to cross is that millions of people vote for MQM.., some may vote for them because of coercion some because of ethinic homogenity(just like the bradari vote) but the vast majority votes for other reasons some because they believe MQM has delivered positively towards development in their constituency( you may find it very hard to believe but a lot of people in Karachi have been impressed by the likes of Mustafa Kamal), some because of their secular agenda & some because they are attracted to the fact that even though they have a militant element to which we in Karachi have now become accustomed to , as it is an attribute of all parties here- but they give their party ticket to middle class, young , educated political activists…,
I see no difference b/w these & the reasons for voting a particular party in rest of Pakistan
Add to this that a large section of their political base primarily believe in the point that I have been constantly re-iterating(they are no worse then the rest of the parties),
-You talk about cases - The sharif brothers have been convicted , to which they even did not file an appeal they just got away with a presidential pardon
Probably a single person with largest set of cases against him including murder & all kind of massive financial fraud is our sitting president & there are many many such cases against politicians from all parties ; you talk about perpetrating killings…, why must then the be a differentiation b/w responsibles of Pakka Qila , the military operation of the 90’s & MQM , while you would not endorse them neither do I endorse the militant aspect of MQM the fundamental point of difference b/w us is that you are willing to differentiate b/w politicians & their political institution (although in most of these cases there is no political institution just a club of influential & powerful individuals..), you are willing to let them do their politics & take-on responsibilities of public representation as long as the public is willing to trust them; for all parties except MQM, while my argument is on all dimensions the premise on the basis of which you want a distinct national response towards MQM is not just uniquely applicable to them, for that you consider me blinded by ethnicity 