The protracted legal dispute between the two factions of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in London over who owns pricey properties has turned into a spectacle for the media and MQM party activists to witness. The general public, however, cannot fathom why the government is keeping silent on the matter. Altaf Hussain is the indisputable head of Sindh’s urban class, and the two parties, MQM-Pakistan (headed by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui) and MQM-London (led by Altaf Hussain), are vying for control of the assets acquired when the parties were unified. At the time, the party prided itself on being the true voice of the middle and lower classes. The party continued to be investigated by the regime for its direct or indirect involvement in extortion, gunfights, and other forms of violence. The reason the party leaders purchased seven or so residences in upmarket areas of London was never questioned by a finance watchdog. Aminul Haque, the head of the MQM-Pakistan and currently a federal minister, launched a lawsuit to take ownership of the pricey property. To maintain ownership of the homes, the MQM leader in London is also treating the situation seriously.
The UK courts are better equipped to determine the case’s merits with regard to the property issue. However, back in Pakistan, the NAB and other relevant organisations must investigate how the party was able to purchase such expensive houses. Neither side is offering a plausible explanation. Altaf Hussain claims that he purchased the property using money donated by common workers. A legal money trail must be established. A fabricated, malleable, ‘dry-cleaned’ leadership should not be imposed on Karachi. Allow a natural, democratic leadership to emerge from Pakistan’s largest metropolis.