KARACHI: Internal rifts within the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan came under the public spotlight when two groups staged a protest and a counter protest against each other at its temporary headquarters in Bahadurabad.

However, the MQM-P tried to play down the incident and said in a statement on Sunday that certain elements were exaggerating on social media “the matter only to create chaos”.

Ever since the January 2023 merger of the Mustafa Kamal-led Pak Sarzameen Party with the Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui-led MQM-P, the party has experienced a rollercoaster journey due to a constant struggle between different groups vying for control.

The latest episode began on Saturday afternoon when a group of MQM-P workers, said to be loyalists of Mustafa Kamal and Anis Kaimkhani, stormed the Bahadurabad headquarters and allegedly misbehaved with some senior members there.

Party sees ‘planned conspiracy’ behind attempts to harm unity

They sought an explanation to a recent decision of MQM-P chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui through which he not only assigned responsibilities to the members of his central committee but also made Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori the ‘caretaker’ of the party’s lawmakers in the Sindh Assembly.

The situation became very intense when a number of MQM-P workers arrived at the Bahadurabad headquarters ostensibly to counter Kamal-Kaimkhani loyalists. However, a source said, a better sense prevailed as senior leader Iftikhar Alam instructed the protesting workers to leave the premises.

Later, a group of people, including women and children, holding placards inscribed with slogans including ‘Khalid Maqbool humari red line hain’ emerged at the Bahadurabad headquarters where they staged a protest against Mr Kamal and Mr Kaimkhani.

Senior leader Mustafa Kamal told the media he had challenged the “forces of status quo”.

About the protest by his loyalists and its footage, he explained what was seen in the footage inside the party headquarters was just a discussion by party workers as the party had given some responsibilities. He added that asking questions and chanting slogans was a democratic right.

Regarding the counter protest, however, he said they should be thankful that the MQM-P headquarters was closed when the protesters arrived.

Closed-door meeting

Another MQM-P source told Dawn that certain quarters made senior MQM-P leadership attend a closed-door meeting at a ‘safe house’ in the Karachi’s South district in a bid to remove their differences when they were informed about the protest against Mr Kamal and Mr Kaimkhani.

As a result, the MQM-P released a statement and rejected reports of differences as “concocted and fabricated”.

“Under a planned conspiracy, attempts are being made to harm the unity within the MQM,” it said, adding that unscrupulous elements wanted to pit MQM-P workers against each other.

It also declared that the party leadership was united and asked party workers to remain united and not to fell prey to any propaganda.

Also on Sunday, a meeting of MQM-P lawmakers was held at the party headquarters in Bahadurabad. The meeting was jointly chaired by Dr Farooq Sattar and Mr Kaimkhani to give a clear message of unity.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2025