Blog: Rebuttal to “frontier post” — Altaf seeks another Musharraf

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By Babur Lodhi | Published in the XReports.net, on March 26th, 2014

Before replying to your editorial “Altaf seeks another Musharraf”, published in The Frontier Post I read it many times and reached the same conclusion every time that either you have a great misconception regarding Altaf Hussain and MQM or you intentionally tried to malign one of the most popular and followed leader of Pakistan, who is the heartthrob of millions across the globe.

Your editorial contains fabricated remarks about him. I found your editorial two dimensional; it wasn’t only filled with lame accusations and apologetic phrases but also a futile attempt to praise the political rivals of MQM by calling them ideological in comparison to MQM.

Ironically, since independence, Pakistani rulers and establishment have lived off rents from leasing out military “services” to the highest foreign bidder instead of standing on their own feet and not meddling in other peoples’ business. In the 1950s, 60s and 80s, they sold their services to the Americans, first against the USSR and then against the Taliban. Now in the 2010s, they are rolling up their sleeves to stir the Middle-East cauldron at the behest of a rich “friend”.

Being a true patriot and a farsighted national leader Altaf Hussain has every right to call to the Army to refuse to serve in foreign lands in case the civilian government so orders, as he is well versed with the constitution of Pakistan and understands the gravity of situation more than the self-proclaimed democrats of the so called ideological parties.

If you have only given a neutral look to the Altaf Hussain’s speech, you must have restrained yourselves from giving such irresponsible remarks against him and MQM. As, in its detailed verdict in the Asghar Khan case, the Supreme Court clearly held that “All army officers who obey unlawful commands are individually liable and in the event of failure of the state authorities to take action, and If any such illegal order is transmitted, the same is not worthy to be obeyed.” Altaf Hussain choose the correct time to highlight this issue of great national importance right before the rulers were preparing themselves from making another irrevocable blunder. May I know that what is undemocratic in using the verdict of Supreme Court of Pakistan as a reference?

Coming to the second part of the editorial, where you have regarded PMLN, PPP and PTI as ideological parties. I am not sure that what parameters you have used for considering them as ideological political parties. Is it corruption and bad governance or supporting the religious fanaticism that you failed to find in MQM? Another point that I would like to highlight: being an editor you must be well-informed how many times these so called ideological parties have used not so ideological means to seize power through the backdoor, whether, it was the formation of IJI or the letting loose to corruption of each other.

While, writing an emotional editorial you also forgot that MQM is not only confined to Karachi and Hyderabad, MQM also won from Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Gilgit-Baltistan as well. If you look at the current division of seats among the political parties you will only see votes cast on ethnic bases, as no single party was able to get success in all the provinces. PMLN won from Punjab, PPP from rural Sindh and PTI won from KPK. I also would like to clarify that MQM is not a king’s party unlike PMLN, PPP and PTI where a common middle class worker couldn’t ever dream of becoming a parliamentarian, as all of them sell their party tickets to the elite. On the other hand, MQM represents the lower and middle class of Pakistan and holds the honor of sending the members of working class to the parliament before anyone. It’s only the MQM which is making sincere efforts to stop the Talibanization in the country as well as doing immense relief work for the victims of Thar crises.

In the end, I would like to remind you about Karachi’s by-election 2013 which were held under Law Enforcement Agencies and MQM won the seats with big margin against PTI, PPP and PMLN. Thus, Altaf Hussain does not need any support except the love and support of the poor and deprived masses of Pakistan to change their destiny and prove his biased critiques wrong.

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