Jinnahpur - what MQM workers say about it?
by Nadia Khan
Since then Brigadier (Retired) Imtiaz, one of the main beneficiary of ' failed' National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), has appeared on number of TV channels and revealed that the story of Jinnahpur is fake and orchesterd by agencies, I became curious to know more about it. As it was made public by the army media wing (ISPR) during those days and later some controversy exist that it was taken back, I became more interested as what common men, muhajir activists, and Karachi residents say about it!
I was willing to know more about Jinnahpur, its plan, its dimensions, and finally its failure in 1992. As the issue just popped up again with the publishing of Syed Jamaluddin, a Germany based anti-Pakistan writer, books' "Divide Pakistan : To eliminate terrorism" formerly it was his petition for separate homeland for Urdu-speaking majority of Karachi, my requirement was to identify the root causes associated to this idea and its linkage with Muhajir Qoumi Movement, now Mutahidda, if there exists.
For this I have to go back to
No one who had lived closer to Altaf Hussain or NineZero, would be able to speak the truth. Azeem Ahmed Tariq's family has left
I started my work, based on the facts as what made late Azeem Ahmed Tariq away from Altaf Hussain's group that finally lead the events in a way to take his life! Was it purely security agencies cruel act or the forces behind Hisham uz Zafar, who was presented on PTV as the main accused of Azeem Ahmed Tariq's murder, nad now freed due to NRO, had conducted the crime of his own! After all he was MQM's chairman and his killers were not apprehended like the killers of Benazir Bhutto! Even it is stranger that today's MQM of Altaf Hussain is not interested in finding out the culprits. These dead or shaheeds of MQM, if Altaf group considers them as part of MQM, are covered under the rubble of NRO!
It took me a week or so to get connected with sympathizers of late Azeem Ahmed Tariq in today's MQM. Their out come surprised me more than any findings, even the discovery of Penicillin, as revealed by late Ashfaq Ahmed!
'He became the victim of
For what? I asked vehemently
'He doesn't want to join the hands of foreign forces, when 1992 army operation was in progress and it was fiercely opposed by him.' one elderly worker responded with bitter tone.
That discussion was the tip of an iceberg of Jinnahpur. I started meeting more MQM workers to get know the facts, especially words those travel by hearts only, means worker to worker only, because to gather the hidden truth.
After two weeks of hectic search within the MQM-Karachi circles, I was able to find out only that 'the right person who knows more about Jinnahpur is Dr Imran Farooq and Saleem Shahzad was the one who had presented a Silver colour passport of Jinnahpur to one of his associate, when he was living in Dubai soon after his exit from Karachi during 1992 operation.'
Currently Dr Farooq lives in London and a bit away from Altaf Hussain's blessing, so I decided to approach him at later stage and same with Saleem Shahzad close associates who live in UAE and MQM workers in South Africa, if there's a need be!
One suggestion came to me is to 'contact Haqiqi senior members and they will know more about this fact.' I rejected this idea as talking to Haqiqi-group would not lead me towards truth due to number of political or factional-differences reasons. So I decided to continue my quest, as a common person for finding the truth about Jinnahpur from the common workers of MQM.
One fine morning, while talking to an old associate of Dr Imran Farooq in Al Karam Square, who had witnessed 1992 Army Operation, spend sometime in Karachi Central Jail & now distanced himself from the party, I was told that 'after 92 operation when Imran Bhai became cornered & left with no option then he had requested help from Indian Consulate Karachi. Number of his loyalist got
This was a great piece of information, if true, from the mouth of an old MQM associate. So I can move on to my search little ahead. Within this context, readers would be reminded that Indian Consulate Karachi was closed during that period while Army Operation was being conducted.
After meeting with few of old MQM activists, who are now in their mid 50s and enjoying their survival after such operations, cleansing, & inter-party fights living mostly in Al Karam Square, near NineZero, and Azizabad, I wanted to dig some more ground in other urban parts of Sind as the proposed map of Jinnahpur includes Hyderabad, Meerpurkhas, and Nawabshah also. I was told that few gentlemen in
After 114km drive, when I reached
This was the argument; we discussed before, so I ignored it and wanted to know about the annexation of
'What would be Muhajir's reaction living in
'We will listen to our leader, as he is the only one who is our torch bearer!' I was answered
'We have no other option, if PPPP fails to ensure our rights!' another answer came in
Indirectly this was endorsed by the Karachi Nazim, Mustafa Kamal when he made some surprising remarks and observations at the businessmen's dinner in Karachi on 11th July 2008 in honor of the then President Pervez Musharraf. He told the audience that they should not take their money away from
He had made these comments in the presence of the then president Musharraf and the governor of
Before moving to my next destination, I decided to understand the approach of MQM activists, as how they see
For the first time in MQM 20 year's history, Altaf Hussain has directed MQM Rabita Committee members to present themselves at the tomb of Allama Iqbal on 9th November with garlands. This was the change and everyone in
My next destination was
I was finding out the person, who has been showed the passport of Jinnahpur in
I left
Saleem Shahzad is my cousin and we both were involved in MQM activities together. When he came here in Sharjah, he had spent some months living with me only. He has changed himself, during those days, used to wear Arabic dress (Kandura) and went to
Both Muhajir & Sindhis can't live peacefully in
This piece of info was more than enough for me to understand what is hidden at the back of the then-MQMs higher ups; their motives, failed action and future plans! The important tip which I got is that - after 1992 operation many of the MQM activists either fled to UAE, or
My next route was
Some say that his growing influence within the party has lead Altaf Hussain to sideline him otherwise party could ignore the founding-father. Whatever is the truth, this has given me an understanding that he might not be able to open himself especially when the matter of separating
When the plane took-off from
What the founder of