US Department of Homeland Security: Shocking report on MQM.

[Kompromat]

Query: Provide information on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Altaf (MQM-A) in Pakistan.

Response: Pakistan: Information on Mohajir/Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Altaf (MQM-A)


SUMMARY

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Altaf (MQM-A) has been widely accused of human rights abuses since its founding two decades ago. It claims to represent Mohajirs— Urdu-speaking Muslims who fled to Pakistan from India after the 1947 partition of the subcontinent, and their descendants.

In the mid-1990s, the MQM-A was heavily involved in the widespread political violence that wracked Pakistan's southern Sindh province, particularly Karachi, the port city that is the country's commercial capital. MQM-A militants fought government forces, breakaway MQM factions, and militants from other ethnic-based movements. In the mid-1990s, the U.S. State Department, Amnesty International, and others accused the MQM-A and a rival faction of summary killings, torture, and other abuses (see, e.g., AI 1 Feb 1996; U.S. DOS Feb 1996). The MQM-A routinely denied involvement in violence.

BACKGROUND

The current MQM-A is the successor to a group called the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM) that was founded by Altaf Hussein in 1984 as a student movement to defend the rights of Mohajirs, who by some estimates make up 60 percent of Karachi's population of twelve million. At the time, Mohajirs were advancing in business, the professions, and the bureaucracy, but many resented the quotas that helped ethnic Sindhis win university slots and civil service jobs.

Known in English as the National Movement for Refugees, the MQM soon turned to extortion and other types of racketeering to raise cash. Using both violence and efficient organizing, the MQM became the dominant political party in Karachi and Hyderabad, another major city in Sindh. Just three years after its founding, the MQM came to power in these and other Sindh cities in local elections in 1987 (AI 1 Feb 1996; U.S. DOS Feb 1997, Feb 1999; HRW Dec 1997).

The following year, the MQM joined a coalition government at the national level headed by Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP), which took power in elections following the death of military leader General Zia ul-Haq. This marked the first of several times in the 1980s and 1990s that the MQM joined coalition governments in Islamabad or in Sindh province. Meanwhile, violence between the MQM and Sindhi groups routinely broke out in Karachi and other Sindh cities (AI 1 Feb 1996; 14 Feb 2003).

In 1992, a breakway MQM faction, led by Afaq Ahmed and Aamir Khan, launched the MQM Haqiqi (MQM-H), literally the "real" MQM. Many Pakistani observers alleged that the MQM-H was supported by the government of Pakistan to weaken the main MQM led by Altaf Hussein, which became known as the MQM-A ( 14 Feb 2003). Several smaller MQM factions also emerged, although most of the subsequent intra-group violence involved the MQM-A and the MQM-H (AI 1 Feb 1996; U.S. DOS Feb 1999; 14 Feb 2003).

Political violence in Sindh intensified in 1993 and 1994 ( 14 Feb 2003). In 1994, fighting among MQM factions and between the MQM and Sindhi nationalist groups brought almost daily killings in Karachi (U.S. DOS Feb 1995). By July 1995, the rate of political killings in the port city reached an average of ten per day, and by the end of that year more than 1,800 had been killed (U.S. DOS Feb 1996).

The violence in Karachi and other cities began abating in 1996 as soldiers and police intensified their crackdowns on the MQM-A and other groups ( 14 Feb 2003).

Pakistani forces resorted to staged "encounter killings" in which they would shoot MQM activists and then allege that the killings took place during encounters with militants (U.S. DOS Feb 1996). Following a crackdown in 1997, the MQM-A adopted its present name, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, or United National Movement, which also has the initials MQM (HRW Dec 1997).

MQM-A leader Hussein fled in 1992 to Britain, where he received asylum in 1999 ( 14 Feb 2003). The MQM-A is not on the U.S. State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations (U.S. DOS 23 May 2003).


While the multifaceted nature of the violence in Sindh province in the 1980s and 1990s at times made it difficult to pinpoint specific abuses by the MQM-A, the group routinely was implicated in rights abuses. In 1992 after the Sindh government called in the army to crack down on armed groups in the province, facilities were discovered that allegedly were used by the MQM-A to torture and at times kill dissident members and activists from rival groups. In 1996, Amnesty International said that the PPP and other parties were reporting that some of their activists had been tortured and killed by the MQM-A (AI 1 Feb 1996).

The MQM-A and other factions also have been accused of trying to intimidate journalists. In one of the most flagrant cases, in 1990 MQM leader Hussein publicly threatened the editor of the monthly NEWSLINE magazine after he published an article on the MQM's alleged use of torture against dissident members (U.S. DOS Feb 1991).

The following year, a prominent journalist, Zafar Abbas, was severely beaten in Karachi in an attack that was widely blamed on MQM leaders angered over articles by Abbas describing the party's factionalization. The same year, MQM activists assaulted scores of vendors selling DAWN, Pakistan's largest English-language newspaper, and other periodicals owned by Herald Publications (U.S. DOS Feb 1992).

The MQM-A has also frequently called strikes in Karachi and other cities in Sindh province and used killings and other violence to keep shops closed and people off the streets. During strikes, MQM-A activists have ransacked businesses that remained open and attacked motorists and pedestrians who ventured outside (U.S. DOS Feb 1996; 14 Feb 2003).

The MQM-A allegedly raises funds through extortion, narcotics smuggling, and other criminal activities. In addition, Mohajirs in Pakistan and overseas provide funds to the MQM-A through charitable foundations ( 14 Feb 2003).

Since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States, the MQM-A has been increasingly critical of Islamic militant groups in Pakistan. The MQM-A, which generally has not targeted Western interests, says that it supports the global campaign against terrorism ( 14 Feb 2003).

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RIC within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References:

Amnesty International (AI). HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS IN KARACHI (1 Feb 1996, ASA 33/01/96), http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA330011996?open&of=ENG-PAK [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

Human Rights Watch (HRW). WORLD REPORT 1998, "Pakistan" (Dec 1997), http://www.hrw.org/worldreport/Asia-09.htm#P823_214912 [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

Information Group (). WORLD INSURGENCY AND TERRORISM-17, "Muthida [sic] Qaumi Movement (MQM-A)" (14 Feb 2003), http://www..com [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

U.S. Department of State (U.S. DOS). "Foreign Terrorist Organizations" (23 May 2003), http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/fs/2003/12389.htm [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

U.S. Department of State (U.S. DOS). COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES FOR 1998, "Pakistan" (Feb 1999), 1998 Human Rights Report - Pakistan [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

U.S. Department of State (U.S. DOS). COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES FOR 1996, "Pakistan" (Feb 1997), 1996 Human Rights Report: Pakistan [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

U.S. Department of State (U.S. DOS). COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES FOR 1995, "Pakistan" (Feb 1996), 1995 Human Rights Report: PAKISTAN [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

U.S. Department of State (U.S. DOS). COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES FOR 1994, "Pakistan" (Feb 1995), 1994 Human Rights Report: PAKISTAN [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

U.S. Department of State (U.S. DOS). COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES FOR 1991, "Pakistan" (Feb 1992).

U.S. Department of State (U.S. DOS). COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES FOR 1990, "Pakistan" (Feb 1991).

Attachments:

Information Group (). WORLD INSURGENCY AND TERRORISM-17, "Muthida [sic] Qaumi Movement (MQM-A)" (14 Feb 2003), http://www..com [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]



LINK: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/414fe5aa4.html

 

[U-571]

what were you searching in a UNHCR website in the first place

 

[Kompromat]

what were you searching in a UNHCR website in the first place

You haven't read the report have you ? it yells at the top that this is NOT UNHCR publication but US department of homeland security's [Intelligence reports]. It was published on UNHCR website because UNHCR requested information from USDHS on MQM and its violent history.

 

[DV RULES]

You haven't read the report have you ? it yells at the top that this is NOT UNHCR publication but US department of homeland security's [Intelligence reports]. It was published on UNHCR website because UNHCR requested information from USDHS on MQM and its violent history.

Interesting then how terrorist party like MQM still working and PPP still want MQM back into government. How Pathetic. Killing ration by MQM not enough to declare it a terrorist organization? Or US, UK continuously are using this organization for its own interests so Altaf got asylum and GOP can’t ban MQM because of the pressure of US & UK?

 

[lem34]

They are criminals and as such should be hunted down and the law should deal with them

 

[salmakh84]

tsk tsk... I heard Altaf "bhai" said I'll continue till I die... may Allah show His wrath on the killers

 

[Kompromat]

MQM does it again

 

[Kompromat]

They are criminals and as such should be hunted down and the law should deal with them

MQM is more like a well organized militia which has to be dealt with carefully otherwise they will keep spreading their ruthless terror in Karachi and keep dividing our society on "mohajir" card.

ISI is the best positioned organization to deal with the Fuhrer Altaf and his syndicate of terror. On that note we also must understand that MQM is now shaking from within after the exposure of Dr: Imran Farooq's murder by their own "Altaf bhai".

 

[Kompromat]

I am bewildered at people still following racist politics in this day & age ie MQM /ANP etc.

 

[pakistanitarzan]

MQM is more like a well organized militia which has to be dealt with carefully otherwise they will keep spreading their ruthless terror in Karachi and keep dividing our society on "mohajir" card.

ISI is the best positioned organization to deal with the Fuhrer Altaf and his syndicate of terror. On that note we also must understand that MQM is now shaking from within after the exposure of Dr: Imran Farooq's murder by their own "Altaf bhai".

Has it been proven that Atlaf Don vapourized Dr Imran Farooq?

 

[Kompromat]

Has it been proven that Atlaf Don vapourized Dr Imran Farooq?

Yes , discussed on the board too.

 

[batmannow]

Divide & rule?
What they say about, others!
I mean BLA, TTp, JEAY SINDHU-DESH LIBRATION ARMY, AZO?
One sided , theard it really, doesn't have much value, till some other political party, out vote them,& mean , hell of a job!

There is no, other opinion that MQM have used , its militants to give, imperesion of security to the urdu speakers in , karachi & some other cities of sind, but they did it, with education, & their development with, their lesser , representation in the parliment.
I never thought, they are angels but the, question is who else? PPP or dam NAWAZ league?
In our country, where arms were define as, sign of power & respect, also to show the writ of thie, personal prospects, its very wrong to pin point, just few on the bassis, of political jealocy!
We should condem all, not high light few?
What dam path , we are creating by , finishing casess against, BLA terrorists , giving them all , the benefits , because they had their dam. Resolution passed in dam, american congress?
Thn bashing a educated political group, which is showing healthy signs, in this voilence hit country!any way we, love or hate , MQM its still remains the , 2nd largest party of sindh,inside or out side parliments on national level & on provancial level.
It has showen good growth, through out pakistan,& that's very good to watch, we doesn't need , americans to tell, us ! Who is mr right for us, we as a nation a should find out , in elections by ourselves?

 

[truthseer]

Query: Provide information on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Altaf (MQM-A) in Pakistan.

Response: Pakistan: Information on Mohajir/Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Altaf (MQM-A)


SUMMARY

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Altaf (MQM-A) has been widely accused of human rights abuses since its founding two decades ago. It claims to represent Mohajirs— Urdu-speaking Muslims who fled to Pakistan from India after the 1947 partition of the subcontinent, and their descendants.

In the mid-1990s, the MQM-A was heavily involved in the widespread political violence that wracked Pakistan's southern Sindh province, particularly Karachi, the port city that is the country's commercial capital. MQM-A militants fought government forces, breakaway MQM factions, and militants from other ethnic-based movements. In the mid-1990s, the U.S. State Department, Amnesty International, and others accused the MQM-A and a rival faction of summary killings, torture, and other abuses (see, e.g., AI 1 Feb 1996; U.S. DOS Feb 1996). The MQM-A routinely denied involvement in violence.

BACKGROUND

The current MQM-A is the successor to a group called the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM) that was founded by Altaf Hussein in 1984 as a student movement to defend the rights of Mohajirs, who by some estimates make up 60 percent of Karachi's population of twelve million. At the time, Mohajirs were advancing in business, the professions, and the bureaucracy, but many resented the quotas that helped ethnic Sindhis win university slots and civil service jobs.

Known in English as the National Movement for Refugees, the MQM soon turned to extortion and other types of racketeering to raise cash. Using both violence and efficient organizing, the MQM became the dominant political party in Karachi and Hyderabad, another major city in Sindh. Just three years after its founding, the MQM came to power in these and other Sindh cities in local elections in 1987 (AI 1 Feb 1996; U.S. DOS Feb 1997, Feb 1999; HRW Dec 1997).

The following year, the MQM joined a coalition government at the national level headed by Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP), which took power in elections following the death of military leader General Zia ul-Haq. This marked the first of several times in the 1980s and 1990s that the MQM joined coalition governments in Islamabad or in Sindh province. Meanwhile, violence between the MQM and Sindhi groups routinely broke out in Karachi and other Sindh cities (AI 1 Feb 1996; 14 Feb 2003).

In 1992, a breakway MQM faction, led by Afaq Ahmed and Aamir Khan, launched the MQM Haqiqi (MQM-H), literally the "real" MQM. Many Pakistani observers alleged that the MQM-H was supported by the government of Pakistan to weaken the main MQM led by Altaf Hussein, which became known as the MQM-A ( 14 Feb 2003). Several smaller MQM factions also emerged, although most of the subsequent intra-group violence involved the MQM-A and the MQM-H (AI 1 Feb 1996; U.S. DOS Feb 1999; 14 Feb 2003).

Political violence in Sindh intensified in 1993 and 1994 ( 14 Feb 2003). In 1994, fighting among MQM factions and between the MQM and Sindhi nationalist groups brought almost daily killings in Karachi (U.S. DOS Feb 1995). By July 1995, the rate of political killings in the port city reached an average of ten per day, and by the end of that year more than 1,800 had been killed (U.S. DOS Feb 1996).

The violence in Karachi and other cities began abating in 1996 as soldiers and police intensified their crackdowns on the MQM-A and other groups ( 14 Feb 2003).

Pakistani forces resorted to staged "encounter killings" in which they would shoot MQM activists and then allege that the killings took place during encounters with militants (U.S. DOS Feb 1996). Following a crackdown in 1997, the MQM-A adopted its present name, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, or United National Movement, which also has the initials MQM (HRW Dec 1997).

MQM-A leader Hussein fled in 1992 to Britain, where he received asylum in 1999 ( 14 Feb 2003). The MQM-A is not on the U.S. State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations (U.S. DOS 23 May 2003).


While the multifaceted nature of the violence in Sindh province in the 1980s and 1990s at times made it difficult to pinpoint specific abuses by the MQM-A, the group routinely was implicated in rights abuses. In 1992 after the Sindh government called in the army to crack down on armed groups in the province, facilities were discovered that allegedly were used by the MQM-A to torture and at times kill dissident members and activists from rival groups. In 1996, Amnesty International said that the PPP and other parties were reporting that some of their activists had been tortured and killed by the MQM-A (AI 1 Feb 1996).

The MQM-A and other factions also have been accused of trying to intimidate journalists. In one of the most flagrant cases, in 1990 MQM leader Hussein publicly threatened the editor of the monthly NEWSLINE magazine after he published an article on the MQM's alleged use of torture against dissident members (U.S. DOS Feb 1991).

The following year, a prominent journalist, Zafar Abbas, was severely beaten in Karachi in an attack that was widely blamed on MQM leaders angered over articles by Abbas describing the party's factionalization. The same year, MQM activists assaulted scores of vendors selling DAWN, Pakistan's largest English-language newspaper, and other periodicals owned by Herald Publications (U.S. DOS Feb 1992).

The MQM-A has also frequently called strikes in Karachi and other cities in Sindh province and used killings and other violence to keep shops closed and people off the streets. During strikes, MQM-A activists have ransacked businesses that remained open and attacked motorists and pedestrians who ventured outside (U.S. DOS Feb 1996; 14 Feb 2003).

The MQM-A allegedly raises funds through extortion, narcotics smuggling, and other criminal activities. In addition, Mohajirs in Pakistan and overseas provide funds to the MQM-A through charitable foundations ( 14 Feb 2003).

Since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States, the MQM-A has been increasingly critical of Islamic militant groups in Pakistan. The MQM-A, which generally has not targeted Western interests, says that it supports the global campaign against terrorism ( 14 Feb 2003).

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RIC within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References:

Amnesty International (AI). HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS IN KARACHI (1 Feb 1996, ASA 33/01/96), http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA330011996?open&of=ENG-PAK [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

Human Rights Watch (HRW). WORLD REPORT 1998, "Pakistan" (Dec 1997), http://www.hrw.org/worldreport/Asia-09.htm#P823_214912 [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

Information Group (). WORLD INSURGENCY AND TERRORISM-17, "Muthida [sic] Qaumi Movement (MQM-A)" (14 Feb 2003), http://www..com [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

U.S. Department of State (U.S. DOS). "Foreign Terrorist Organizations" (23 May 2003), http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/fs/2003/12389.htm [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

U.S. Department of State (U.S. DOS). COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES FOR 1998, "Pakistan" (Feb 1999), 1998 Human Rights Report - Pakistan [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

U.S. Department of State (U.S. DOS). COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES FOR 1996, "Pakistan" (Feb 1997), 1996 Human Rights Report: Pakistan [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

U.S. Department of State (U.S. DOS). COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES FOR 1995, "Pakistan" (Feb 1996), 1995 Human Rights Report: PAKISTAN [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

U.S. Department of State (U.S. DOS). COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES FOR 1994, "Pakistan" (Feb 1995), 1994 Human Rights Report: PAKISTAN [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]

U.S. Department of State (U.S. DOS). COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES FOR 1991, "Pakistan" (Feb 1992).

U.S. Department of State (U.S. DOS). COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES FOR 1990, "Pakistan" (Feb 1991).

Attachments:

Information Group (). WORLD INSURGENCY AND TERRORISM-17, "Muthida [sic] Qaumi Movement (MQM-A)" (14 Feb 2003), http://www..com [Accessed 6 Feb 2004]



LINK: UNHCR | Refworld | Pakistan: Information on Mohajir/Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Altaf (MQM-A)

All right then, if you are believing this, then you have no right to yell about drones since according to the same department, all people killed by drones are terrorists.

You can't accept one or the other, accept both or reject both, the choice is yours

So, do you agree with them? And do you agree with their reports that people who are complaining in US of the economy are also likely to be terrorists?

Or do you reject this as well and just agree with them when it comes to a party you hate because it is much better than the PTI?

 

[LeGenD]

All right then, if you are believing this, then you have no right to yell about drones since according to the same department, all people killed by drones are terrorists.

You can't accept one or the other, accept both or reject both, the choice is yours

So, do you agree with them? And do you agree with their reports that people who are complaining in US of the economy are also likely to be terrorists?

Or do you reject this as well and just agree with them when it comes to a party you hate because it is much better than the PTI?

Many terrorists have died in drone strikes. Drone strikes occur in regions where terrorists are reported to be present. It is Pakistani media created hype that mostly civilians die in drone strikes.

And MQM is not so popular even in Karachi. MQM attempts to behave as it owns Karachi.

 

[truthseer]

Many terrorists have died in drone strikes. Drone strikes occur in regions where terrorists are reported to be present. It is Pakistani media created hype that mostly civilians die in drone strikes.

And MQM is not so popular even in Karachi. MQM attempts to behave as it owns Karachi.

I was merely pointing out the hypocrisy of the one that posted it. He believes that drone attacks are wrong and kill civilians. I say that if he accepts the credibility of this department of the US, he must also agree with the other facts.

Also, you're wrong. Have you lived in Karachi? MQM does own it since we, the people, are in the MQM and support the MQM and we, the people, own Karachi, so MQM owns Karachi

By the way, Mr.Aeronaut, all the stuff in this article is ALLEGED, not PROVED!