Re: Where the funds are coming from in Punjab for MQM
I dont think there are zero legit donations, and i will beleive you that some die hard supporters might have contributed all their belongings specially in early days of MQM inception. But i dont think anyone can deny that large scale bhatta khori is a norm. Households are told to give a fixed amount every month. My friends tell me that the colector will turn up at your door and tell you, just consider that your house rent has increased by Rs1000 which you will give us. Same goes for markets even colleges. And i think you will beleive an honourable person like Cowasjee of how widespread extortion is in Karachi. http://archives.dawn.com/weekly/cowas/20030413.htm Though ANP and PPP are involved as well, MQM owing to its much larger influence has the biggets share of extortion.
Now as to how PPP and PML-N collect their funds, its through their MNAs and MPAs. Every ticket is sold, rather even before one can be in a position of applying for a seat, people pay money to get close to top leadership of these parties. Functions are arranged by local leaders through their own pockets and they later expect to be paid back by getting tickets or contracts once the party is in power. Another way of running party offices is that people are given government jobs like as a teacher, cleric, guard etc and then these people instead of going to their job work at the party office but get their monthly salary from government.