DD

Thats what i was gointo say as well.

And don't you people worrry, you may see some hard bargains going on behind close doors in this issue between Zardari and Altaf.

This is not the first time MQM has opposed NRO, they did it during MUsharraf time and after getting their killers inot the deal the supported it.

Entisar

Agree with you , may be partially but your analysis have sense.

shami2k

I voted no. I don't think there is any thing to "appreciate" MQM or that terrorist from UK for...especially keeping in mind the fact that Don of London thinks that creation of Pakistan was biggest "bluuuuunderrrrrrrrrrr" in history.

yazdi

Well this debate/poll is becoming one hell of an interesting debate. I could not help noticing somethings positive coming out of this debate:

A) Unlike usual MQM threads, the discussion has not taken an ugly ethnic turn.

B) There is a strong support to appreciate MQM on their good deeds. This clearly shows that the argument that MQM is opposed on ethnic basis is totally wrong. People are ready to appreciate if they do something positive, and in the past they were opposed because of their own deeds.

Argument for and against the poll are both convincing and valid. Some of the arguments which need our particular attention are:


It may be noted that people who still do not want to appreciate MQM on their good deeds have nothing against the ethnic group they claim to represent.

vigoratus

You have noticed rightly so, Yazdi. The criticism of any party is always above ethnicity, but unfortunately for the few opportunists any opportunity is a good opportunity to score political points, even at the cost of national integrity. Luckily for us, some of those opportunists are not around.

As for the gesture, yes it can be appreciated. But at what cost? Revocation of NRO also means reopening of charges against many MQM political workers, including its' grand leader who runs the party from outside Pakistan. Why the political suicide? I would personally like to reserve my vote until the motifs become more clear, but knowing the way Pakistani politics are sorted, I wouldn't be surprised if all the parties opposing NRO today somehow, miraculously found a clause that benefits all parties and allows NRO to change shape while staying intact.

coOoLBreeze

Bhaiyon.. dont get excited, there is a crucial meeting tomorrow, between the power brokers of both MQM and PPP ( Zardari only though) in DUBAI... lets see deal kitnay main set hotiii haai ... we will know the setup by tomorrow...

Decent 6Chora

I guess there are couple of reasons behind this step of Mutahida

1) Army pressed them as they made the decision after Altaf - ISI Chief meeting in London

2) MQM was already pissed off of the decision to remove all the local bodies and not go into elections.


and btw, first one is common for all parties. PML(N), Q, MQM, IJI, Pagara, ANP everyone is doing this with Army's approval...

coOoLBreeze

I guess, deal is done,, all is well now... PPP and MQM bhaii bhaai or rather behn bhaii

burqaposhx

Mods!

My humble request is "unsticky" this thread.

We as a nation are in the middle of a serious war for the very soul of our country. At this time, perhaps it is not a good idea to start or continue topics about an ethnic group or party or politics.

This is in no way a comment or a jibe on the MQM. For some people it is the greatest thing since the tandoori bread, and for others it may be a fascist group.

And more power to both the lovers and the haters of this party.

It is just a bad timing to discuss such topics. That's all.

Robert

Not so fast. That may be a false propanganda, but the following is not.
Please check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustafa_Kamal_(mayor)

You fill find this one over there

Achievements
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Geneva has granted ISO certification 9001 to City Government Karachi for providing best services to its citizens[5].

niden

Yazdi,

I am surprised this 180 degree turn around. AH and his cronies are involved in henious crimes. What good deeds can be accepted from them is kind of deliberate ignorance and closing the eyes on their henious crimes.

Opposing NRO by AH and mqm do not convert evils to angels. In hatred of Zardari, accepting kala naag who unltimately bite the @ss of any one who is now supporting this evil due to Zardari factor is idiot of highest order. I am sorry being so blunt. But that is the fact. Read a number of threads opened on mqm in this forum which you have also been a great contributor. I can help you if you have forgotten already.

There are really good deeds done by Taliban in the 90s. Why don't you open a poll on them rather than favoring these ethinic criminals and urban terrorists?

Shamraz Khan

DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Altaf goes back on ?advice? to Zardari

Altaf goes back on ‘advice’ to Zardari By Syed Irfan Raza & Azfar-ul-Ashfaque
Saturday, 07 Nov, 2009 President Zardari continued consultations with his aides and allies to strengthen ties with coalition partners.—File photo by APP. Pakistan
NRO may come in another shape: Chattha NRO may come in another shape: Chattha ISLAMABAD / KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain took a U-turn on Friday when he assured Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders at a meeting in Abu Dhabi that he had not asked President Asif Ali Zardari to sacrifice his office.

According to sources, the MQM chief took part by phone in the meeting with Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza.

The MQM delegation, headed by Mohammad Anwar, in charge of its London secretariat, included Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad and the Minister for Ports and Shipping, Babar Ghori.

‘I have asked President Zardari to sacrifice the powers he has been enjoying under the 17th Amendment, but not his office,’ the sources quoted Mr Hussain as saying.

The two sides agreed to shun their differences and decided to meet after every fortnight to resolve issues and cement their coalition.

‘The meeting was positive and the two sides agreed to work together for the sake of democracy,’ Mr Malik told a TV channel.

The PPP delegation told the MQM team that President Zardari had asked Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to expedite repeal of the amendment.

The MQM was assured that its demand regarding provincial autonomy would also be met and the proposal had been included in a constitutional reforms package prepared by the government.

However, the two parties differed with each other over a timeframe for repealing some controversial clauses of the 17th Amendment.

The PPP delegation assured the MQM leadership that the president was ready to surrender to parliament all his powers, including appointment of the services chiefs, but said a timeframe could not be given.

According to the sources, the MQM side did not raise the issue of local government system or complain about the Sindh government’s attitude. A delegation of MQM’s parliamentarians had informed the president about the problems at a meeting in Islamabad.

The sources said that Friday’s meeting focussed on ‘saving the political system from a possible derailment’ against the backdrop of MQM’s opposition to the National Reconciliation Ordinance and Mr Hussain’s advice to the president to return his controversial powers to parliament.

The MQM chief asked the interior minister to covey his message to the president that he should ‘act fast’ and take all decisions ‘cool-headedly’.

The PPP team said the president had time and again said that he was more than willing to strengthen parliament by returning all powers that rested with him under the 17th Amendment and a special parliamentary committee was working on the 18th amendment.

The sources said there was a difference of opinion between the two sides on a timeframe of the approval of the 18th amendment.

‘In contrast to the PPP, the MQM wants the president to return parliament’s powers as soon as possible,’ they said. They said Mr Malik would visit London next week to meet Mr Hussain.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Ghori termed the meeting positive. ‘We have no differences with President Zardari. Our opposition to the NRO doesn’t mean that we are against him or the PPP,’ he said.

The interior minister told a TV channel that most of the differences with the MQM had been settled.

‘The few differences that remain will soon be settled as the two parties have agreed in principle to continue their consultations for the resolution of all outstanding disputes. The MQM is our ally in the government and will remain with us,’ he said.

MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar said he had no details about the meeting. Meanwhile, President Zardari continued consultations with his aides and allies to strengthen ties with coalition partners.

Over the past couple of days, he has met leaders of the Awami National Party (ANP), the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) and the MQM.

‘In his meeting with an ANP delegation, the president said that the PPP as the largest political force in the country possesses the will and capacity to accommodate all political forces with divergent manifestoes on the same platform for the sake of strengthening democracy and democratic institutions,’ presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.

The 17-member delegation of the ANP was led by the party’s chief Asfandyar Wali Khan.

The president said the experiment of coalition government in Pakistan was gaining strength, which was a very positive development for the growth of democracy.

‘If coalition partners disagree on a certain issue, it does not mean that they cannot co-exist. It is encouraging that political forces in the country agree to disagree among themselves and have matured enough not to rock the system,’ the president said.

He said the PPP would play its part in strengthening the federation and a package for empowering Balochistan had almost been finalised.

The president praised the role played by the ANP in the fight against militancy.

He said that when political forces fought among themselves, the situation was exploited against democracy. Therefore, the political forces should always be alive to the situation and not let their mutual differences spill over beyond limits, he said.

He said the PPP was determined to take all political forces on board to strengthen democracy.

The ANP chief said dialogue was the essence of democracy. He said the ANP appreciated the fact that the president had for the first time described the region as Pakhtunkhawa in his addressed to the United Nations and parliament.

yazdi

Niden bhai,

Please be assured that there is no 180 degree turn around as far as I am concerned. I am dead against anyone who uses violence to achieve political objectives. These discussions help clarify a lot of things in the minds of a lot of people including myself!

yazdi

I understand your concerns and respect you as one of the most intellectual posters of the forum. However I beg to differ with you that we should not discuss the policies of a certain group who represent me and you in our assemblies. I agree that we are passing through a very sensitive period in the history of our country and we are faced with the worse kind of terrorism possible in the history of mankind. We need to be united more than ever, and I personally feel discussing the policies of different groups and political parties will help us understand things better and will make us more united!

As you have rightly mentioned that there are people who consider MQM as the best thing ever happened while there are others who consider them as a facist group. Without passing a verdict who is right and who is wrong I believe there are good people on both sides of the divide. Only positive discussions without racial/ethnic hate talk will help us overcome this divide and get united as a nation to face the situation we are facing today...

junaid001

well MQM has alot to do to shun its historical baggage.
but frankly i can tell you guys MQM is no different than other political party or people in other political parties even its slightly opposite.

based on our PERCEPTION other political parties dont encourage violence or criminal behavior but in reality their members are involved in serious unlawful behaviors and crimes and as for MQM our PERCEPTION is they have a policy of violence but their front men seem mostly clean.

as i had been grown up all around small towns and cities as father used to b a government servant and had seen sindh very closely actually my parental home is also in interior of sindh.

i can name you too many MPAs MNAs in PPP and PML who had association with dacoits, land grabbers, who had been corrupt to the core of their existence and they kept on switching sides for their survival and parties welcomed them.

these guys has been allowd to have their city states and ordinary citizen their ghulam.

the difference is we dont get to know about them and dont care because it is happening in remote areas of the country.

although there is strong history against MQM but in my opinion MQM has been trying to soften up except what they did on May 12th and we must allow them to change more they come into main stream more they would be softer to public pressure.

to see a difference visit other cities of sindh like hyderabad, sukkur, larkana etc and then come to karachi and i would ask you to even go to remote area of karachi like korangi, orangi etc and if you had been there you would see a marked difference and i would like to acknowledge that all started off in last nazims era and sort of competition started off but still MQM proved they can handle it better as well.

as for other cities they are rotting take a case for hyderabad part of it is MQM dominated and part PPP if you go to the area where MQM has local nazim it is much better and if you go to area where PPP has local nazim its junkyard remember city nazim of hyd is of MQM.

its not that they(other cities were not provided funds) i personally know they were provided in abundance but they were not spent all went in to their pockets one nazim is riding in 5-10 million jeep who used to be on modest earnings before.

my father used to say something for these kinds, " if you sell whole province and they have it, they would say give us more" their greed has no limits.

it is their way of life, they havent been to schools, they have ugly faces, they cant talk sane and only thing they have of value is that power and money and if it is distributed among citizens around them their prominence and ability standing out would go away who would listen to them.

but would i still vote for them (MQM) not yet lets see them more .

SUASSHAH

SUASSHAH

yes..