Dr Imran Farooq - life & death!

by Dr Nadia Khan

Finally, Dr. Imran Farooq has met with his fate! Each one has to die but few people leave everlasting marks on history pages for their remembrance whereas late Imran Farooq has ended up this world with broken heart, very few MQM workers know that!

Altaf Hussain, in his most emotional & dramatic appearance in front of media men, condemning the murder of Imran Farooq, cried and presented his sentiments showing his 'love' for a man once he was his loyalist and called him 'Martyr of Revolution.' Though he has received this title but no one knows what efforts late Imran Farooq has on his credit for revolution! As few days before, Altaf Hussain, in one of his most controversial speech, had invited Army Generals to bring the country back on corruption-free path to avoid People’s Revolution. He hinted that he was ‘gifted’ with his lieutenant murder as he has started the talk of revolution. One could conclude that in his speech he had spared Army or ISI, so it is somebody else for whom Altaf Hussain is saying that ‘the murderers of Imran Farooq could not be spared by Allah!’

The cunning comments and emotional ‘dialogues’ of Altaf Hussain have paved the way for many thinkers to observe his body-language carefully as what extra ordinary late ex-convener had done as he deserves such admiration, but only after his death.

As a fact, the late convener was out of London-based party leadership for over two years. He was suspended to perform any administrative activities of the party. The party was directly run by the top leader (Altaf Hussain) even ex-convener had no right to conduct any official party men meeting in party’s Edge ware office. He wasn’t consulted over core party issues and sidelined fully. His last political appearance was in Dr. Shahid Masood’s “Mayray Mutabiq” around two & half years ago when his tone was down and one could easily identify as what trauma is going on with this leader!

With this state of situation, the highest-ever tribute by the top leadership is eye-opener, as something is wrong somewhere. Either at party end, or at late ex-convener end, or at top leadership end. No matter what ever is the truth, the last remnant of 1984 MQM is gone with the wind. Late Azeem Ahmed Tariq was the top notch leader of the then MQM, and surprisingly Altaf Hussain saying on 17^th September 2010 that “murder of Imran Farooq is the biggest ever sad news for me” has astonished many observers that the “killing of Azeem Ahmed Tariq wasn’t the biggest ever sad news for him!”

Farooq Sattar in his tribute has said that “he was the symbol of respect & nobility in Pakistani politics.” Like all I am also surprised as what Imran Farooq has credited to Pakistani politics except his 7 years of struggle for MQM against 1992 Army Operation, arranging group of hardcore MQM workers to fight against Army men in Karachi and taking the city hostage as & when needed. Finally his links with Indian consulate had been exposed (where he was instrumental in arranging Indian visas for number of party workers) to leave the country and out of Pakistani law. This was the main cause of Indian Consulate, Karachi office closure.

When his murder news was broke out, I wanted to observe the ‘reaction’ in Karachi to verify the words of party leader. By 17^th September night I was in Karachi. As per past experiences, when any low-profile party worker or Sector in charge had died or killed then MQM workers took the whole city hostage killing scores of innocent non-Muhajirs and burning out public properties. It was a shock for me that for such a high-value party leader ‘once who was the only source of resistance against Army from 92-97,’ MQM party workers reaction was most mild in its kind. Only public transport was off the road, probably due to their own fear, otherwise streets were not empty, shops were open partially and most strange factor was MQM workers behavior; don’t interfere in people’s actions. No procession, no protest (like the way MQM does normally), no black banners etc. Whole Karachi city was calm!

Cool and calm Karachi on 17^th Sept - was it a tribute to hardcore loyalist of Altaf Hussain or the ex-convener of Rabita Committee, once who was the symbol of ‘loyalty & resistance’ for Altaf group among MQM workers? I was surprised!

Late Imran Farooq, while continuing his struggle against the then Army Operation, when realized that all his loyal supporters either left Karachi or caught by the security agencies, had adopted a new approach of survival. He had taken refuge in Dawat e Islami organization, changed his outlook and started wearing green turban and had grown the long beard. Many MQM criminal elements had adopted this approach and had hidden themselves either in the fold of Tableghee Jamat or Dawat e Islami as both the organizations take people for forty days or four months or for one year, city to city, town to town, and country to country staying in mosques only and preaching the basics of Islam. This is the safest way of hiding himself and changing the outlook by making security agencies fool. When Imran Farooq had arrived in London, he had boarded from Lahore Airport, and his outlook was the perfect example of a Dawat e Islami preacher. I assume that with same outlook he had got UK visa and made all security agencies fool to get out of the country. His maiden press-conference at MQM office London had showed him with long beard. Later, he had changed his outlook after getting the political asylum and returned back to the path of secular MQM.

Insiders say that it was the main cause of Altaf Hussain dissatisfaction with him as ‘how Imran Farooq came out of Pakistan without the blessing of ISI?” Either he became the double-cross agent having links with ISI Generals and sitting in party’s main office in London controlling workers paving the way for him to take over the party leadership! This doubt gradually reached to highest level and when Altaf Hussain had decided to take side of General Mushraff, late Imran Farooq was the most critical voice within the party! This was an alarming situation and he became moved out to a level when he was stabbed to death, he was without any guard or close aide, alone on his evening walk!

As Muslims, we strongly believe in Allah’s justice! The man who controls Karachi with his few loyalists, no one cries for him in Karachi when he died. Has he ever thought in his dreams? He spends 7 precious years of his life, by putting his own life at stake, for a party who kicked him out of it in few seconds! The Heavenly justice is visible for those who kills innocent people under the banner of ‘party protest’ but justice take its way – though slowly- but finally. No one will cry for such elements.

Be it Shaheed Dr Khjasta (died by snipers firing on 7^th Feb 1991; a day of MQM strike at Gulshan Chawrangi) till Khaled Bin Waleed killing over skin dispute, hardcore leaders like Dr. Imran Farooq shall be held responsible for setting up militant wings within political parties like MQM!!!