Long Live Pakistan With Altaf Hussain & MQM

Altaf Hussain
الطاف
Born Karachi, Pakistan
Education B.Pharmacy (University of Karachi)
Occupation Politician
Political party Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Religion Islam
Spouse Faiza Altaf (divorced)
Children Afzaa Altaf
Parents Nazeer Hussain and Khursheed Begum[1]
Altaf Hussain (Urdu: الطاف حسین) (born 17 September 1953 in Karachi) is the founder and leader of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM).[2] The MQM emerged as the third largest political party in the national assembly of Pakistan during 1988[3] and 1990[4] elections. The MQM secured representation in the parliamentary elections held in the northern areas of Pakistan comprising Kashmir[5] & Gilgit-Baltistan.[6] Since 1992 he has lived in the United Kingdom in self exile after surviving an assassination attempt in Pakistan.[7]
Contents [hide]
1 Background
2 Education
3 Early career
4 Political Involvement
5 Ideology/Philosophy
6 Views on Pak-Indo Relations
7 National Reconciliation Ordinance
8 See also
9 References
[edit]Background

Altaf Hussain’s parents were immigrants from India. Hussain’s grand-father, Mohammad Mufti Ramazan, was Grand Mufti of the town of Agra, UP, India and his maternal grand-father Haji Hafiz Raheem Bhux was a reputed religious scholar in India.[8]
[edit]Education

By 1969 Altaf Hussain got his early education from Govt Comprehensive School, Azizabad No. 8 Karachi and had completed his matriculation from Government Boys School at Jail Road Karachi[9] and Intermediate (Pre-Medical/Science) from City College, Karachi.[9] After that he went on to complete his Bachelors of Science from Islamia Science College (Karachi) in 1974[9] apart from completing his Bachelor of Pharmacy by 1979 from the University of Karachi. After completion of his Bachelor of Pharmacy he later enrolled for his Master’s degree.[9]
[edit]Early career

Hussain began his career as a trainee at Karachi’s Seventh Day Advent Hospital. At the same time, he also worked for a multi-national pharmaceutical company.[10] Between 1970 and 1971, Hussain joined the National Service Cadet Scheme. Soon afterwards, he also joined the Baloch Regiment of Pakistan Army.[10]
[edit]Political Involvement

Altaf Hussain was politically active from a very young age. While attending Karachi University, on June 11, 1978, Hussain founded the “All Pakistan Mohajir Student Organization” (APMSO). The APMSO was formed as a student rights group campaigning for the rights of Muhajir students at Karachi University. It later gave birth to the Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM), which transformed into Muttahida Qaumi Movement in 1997.[11] Before creating the APMSO, Hussain served as General Secretary and later as President of the National Student’s Action Committee at Karachi University.[11]
The Pakistani government launched Operation Clean-up in 1992 and sent the military into Karachi to crack down on the MQM. Hussain escaped Karachi one month before the operation began because of an attack on his life on December 21, 1991.[12] Hussain fled to London and applied for political asylum.[13]
[edit]Ideology/Philosophy

Altaf Hussain and his party, MQM, follow the philosophy of Realism and Practicalism.[14]
Talking about his party MQM, Hussain stated that “We stand for equal rights and opportunities for all irrespective of colour, creed, cast, sect, gender, ethnicity or religion. We strive tirelessly for tolerance, religious or otherwise and oppose fanaticism, terrorism and violence in all their manifestations.” [15]
In the last few years, Hussain has warned against the growing influence of the Taliban in Karachi. Hussain stated that the “advocates of Jihad, a medieval concept to tame the infidel, are wantonly killing followers of the faith as they level places of worship.” [15] In 2008, he stated that a “well planned conspiracy to intensify sectarian violence in the city, was being hatched.” [16][17][18]
[edit]Views on Pak-Indo Relations

Hussain has stated on numerous occasions that the “division of the subcontinent was the biggest blunder in the history of mankind.” He believes that the partition divided the Muslims of the subcontinent and made them weaker as a result.[19] Hussain favors peace between India and Pakistan and stated in his 2004 address in India that “India and Pakistan being the two largest in the region, need to demonstrate magnanimity and the necessary political wisdom and desire to truly seek peace. The Confidence Building Measures contemplated to bring the people of both countries closer must be implemented vigorously.”[15] On the issue of Kashmir, Hussain stated that Indo-Pak dialogue should be allowed to “proceed on the basis of mutual adjustment and agreement…[and] It should be clear to all concerned that there can be no military solution to any of the contentious issues, let alone the issue of Kashmir.”[15]
[edit]National Reconciliation Ordinance

In November 2009, Hussain was a beneficiary when the Government of Pakistan enabled a legal act (in December 2009 it was repealed) called National Reconciliation Ordinance which granted amnesty to politicians, political workers and bureaucrats who were accused of crimes between 1986 and October 1999, the time between two occurrences of Martial law.[20]
[edit]See also

Farooq Sattar
Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Imran Farooq
Mustafa Kamal
Babar Khan Ghauri
Fatima Qazilbash
[edit]References

^ The Rediff Interview/MQM leader Altaf Hussein rediff.com
^ http://www.mqmusa.com/AltafHussain.htm
^ http://elections.com.pk/contents.php?i=7#Pakistan
^ http://elections.com.pk/contents.php?i=7#Legislative
^ http://azadkashmirtourism.com/about.html
^ PPP gets mandate to rule Gilgit-Baltistan dawn.com
^ "Karachi tense after UK killing". Al Jazeera. September 17, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
^ http://www.chowk.com/Views/People/Who-is-Altaf-Hussain Who is Altaf Hussain...?
^ a b c d http://www.allaboutmqm.org/video/mqmbiography-of-altaf-hussain-1
^ a b Chishti, Ali (2010-01-08). "Who is Altaf Hussain...?". Chowk. Archived from the original on 2010-12-01. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
^ a b http://www.chowk.com/articles/16845
^ "MQM Altaf Hussain".
^ "MQM Altaf Hussain’s Profile". Elections.com.pk. Retrieved Oct 29, 2010.
^ "The Ideology of Muttahida Quami Movement". MQM.org. Retrieved Oct 31, 2010.
^ a b c d "Altaf Hussain Visits India: His Keynote Speech". Chowk. Retrieved Dec 9, 2010.
^ "The Taliban are Trying to Overrun Karachi". MQMUSA. Retrieved Nov 15, 2010.
^ Walsh, Declan (30 April 2009). "Spate of shootings kill 29 in Karachi". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
^ Ebrahim, Zofeen (2007-05-14). "PAKISTAN: Karachi Allowed to Burn, Say Residents". IPS. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
^ "A Muhajir’s Prayer (Q & A with Altaf Hussain)". Hindu Vivek Kendra. Retrieved Dec 9, 2010.
^ "Govt releases list of NRO beneficiaries". The Nation. November 21, 2009. Retrieved January 3o, 2011.
Categories: 1953 births | Living people | People from Karachi | Muhajir people | Muttahida Qaumi Movement politicians | Pakistani expatriates in England | English people of Pakistani descent | Politics of Karachi
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