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Quaid-e-Tehreek Altaf Hussain Bhai is the fonder and leader of Pakistan's third-largest Political party the Muttahida QaumiMovement better known as MQM. He was born on September 17, 1953 in the city of migrants, the port city of Karachi. Both hisparents, father Nazir Hussain and mother Khurshid Begum belonged to a religious family in Agra, a city known for one of the Wonders of the world 'The Taj Mahal'. His Grand-father Mufti Muhammed Ramzan was a Mufti of the city of Agra and his maternal grandfather Hafi Hafiz Rahim Buksh were also known amongst the prominent Religious families of the city.
After the creation of Pakistan on August 14, 1947, the parents of Quaid e Tehreek Altaf Hussain along with the whole familymigrated to the newly created State of Pakistan and settled down to a lower middle-class locality of Karachi known as Ibn-e-Sina line.Altaf Hussain’s father died on March 13, 1967 while his mother passed away on December 5, 1985.
As with most of he migrants at the time living in Karachi, Altaf Hussain's family too was living on meagre expenses so AltafHussain got his entire Primary and Secondary Education from Government Schools. Later, he went on to study at the IslamiaScience College in Karachi from where he Graguated and onwards at the Karachi University in the Department of Pharmacy wherehe earned his Bachelors Degree in Pharmacy.
Altaf Hussain’s elder brother Nasir Hussain was a government employee so when the government allotted him a quarter at Jahangir Road, they shifted to Jahangir Road quarters. The founder of MQM and his family shifted to house in Block 8 of Azizabad neighbourhood in Federal B Area in Karachi, the same house later became the head office of his Political party MQM, also knownby the house number Nine-Zero (90).
During early 1970s General Yahiya Khan introduce the new scheme of National Cadet Service Scheme for all Inter pass students where all Intermediate pass students would be able to join the Army and give their services to the Nation.Being a Patriotic Pakistan that he is, he immediately applied to play his role to defend his motherland. After clearing allthe tests required for eligibility he was recruited in the Army. His regiment name was 57 Balochistan Regiment and his soldier number was 2642671. In 1971, His regiment was shifted from Hyderabad to Karachi and then sent to the then East Pakistan via ships. Quaid e Tehreek prayed for martyrdom in the line of his duty to protect his motherland. During the interview for final selection of recruits he was asked where his were from, to which he replied they came fromAgra in India. Hearing this the officer conducting the interview disregarded him of being a Pakistani and branded him as a Mohajir(migrant)and an Indian who is unfaithful to Pakistan, Altaf bhai told the officer that he was born here and his parents came to Pakistan for the love of this Nation but to no avail, he was dropped by the selection officer.
As a young Student Altaf Bhai had a strong resentment against the injustice, descrimination and inequality that was faced by the migrants who came to Pakistan during the Indo-Pak partition, also known as 'Mohajirs'. He had immence hatred for the feudal system in the country and the fact that the top 2% of the country's rich and powerful and corrupt elite decided the fate of the remaining 98% of thePopulation. He had a firm belief that until and unless the common man is empowered and free, the institutions free from thecorrupt practices of the powerful elite, the nation would not progress and the common man would not get his fairshare in the country.
He started his Political career when he was still studying Pharmacy at the University ofKarachi where he formed the All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organization (APMSO) on June 11, 1978. Soon APMSO startedgaining popularity among the Urdu-Speaking students and Mohajirs and were able to win 92 seats in college elections in 1980.However, APMSO faced a strong opposition from Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba, student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, and it was banned in 1981.
He founded the MQM in 1984 to represent Mohajirs, Muslims who emigrated from India in 1947 following Partition, and later campaigned for an end to feudalism and rights for the middle-class and the poor downtrodden masses of the Nation. APMSO was restructured as Mohajir Qaumi Movement on March 18, 1984 and on August 8, 1986.
On 21 December 1991, Quaid e Tehreek was attacked but he escaped injury. A warrant was issued for his arrest in connection with a murder. On 1 January 1992 he left Pakistan for London for medical treatment. During 1992 to 1993 Altaf Hussain's brothers and nephews were extrajudicially murdered. He sought political asylum in the United Kingdom, where he now lives in Mill Hill, North London as a UK citizen. The British government has turned down extradition requests from Pakistan, where more than 100 fake criminal charges were filed against him by Benazir Bhutto's government in the mid-90s.
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People who are virulent critics of Altaf Hussein should understand that this is the kind of man Pakistan needs today. Pakistan is in the grip of chaos and destruction because of the dangerous narrow minded racist ethnic divisions in the country. Altaf Hussein's life is an example of this. This man should be considered as a true Muslim as Islam commands one to fight for one's rights and dignity.Altaf is merely fighting a Jihad. So why is he wrong? Why do people criticise him. Yes. Violence was involved inhis party. But who began the violence.Young people of his party were massacred by the army during Benazir's time whose racist sentiments were unbelievable. In Islam one has a RIGHT TO DEFEND ONESELF. This is what Altaf Hussein did.
ReplyDeleteA.H. hails from a prominent family both religious and devoted to the idea of Pakistan.
Mohammed Ali Jinnah appealed to all the Muslims of India and warned them of their losing their Islamic identity if there was Hindu hegemony after the British left India.
Pakistan was not created for Punjabis and Sindhis alone. It was for the Muslims of India.This point should be clearly understood.
So to discriminate people 'who came from India' is stupid and ignorant.Pakistan is an idea not a place.
With his years long living in the UK Altaf is more seasoned and matured .He is appreciated by many intelligent people both in the British and Pakistani circles.
He is still however disliked by many people in Pakistan. These people are merely ignorant and stupid or simply racist.
Altaf Hussein goes down in the ranks of people like Che Guevara the famous Cuban revolutionary and the present fiery Chavez of Venzuela.
One can see a formidable future in this man. May Allah guide him and reward him. Inshallah.
Indeed, we the Pakistanis need a positive and a foward thinking progressive party like MQM that is run by the common man who understands the problems of other common masses of the nation and not powerful feudals who want all the power and wealth for themselves and suppress the dreams of the common man under his feet. Alhamdulillah people are starting to relize the philosophy of Quaid e Tehreek Altaf Hussain Bhai and his vision behind his party, the MQM.
ReplyDeleteWOH AKELA HI CHALA THA JAANIB-E-MANZIL MAGAR,
ReplyDeleteLOG SAATH AATEY GAYE KAARWAN BANTA GAYA....
G. A. ALTAF
I think Altaf Hussain has suffered a lot due to the prevalent injustices. It was wrong for the officer to reject him for army service because his parent were immigrants. anybody would resent such injustice. migrants paid heavy price for the creation of this beloved land.
ReplyDeleteThe blood of their martyred relations was shed for the Pakistan Movement. We must give credit to all those people for their immense sacrifices.
I think Altaf Hussain has suffered a lot due to the prevalent injustices. It was wrong for the officer to reject him for army service because his parent were immigrants. anybody would resent such injustice. migrants paid heavy price for the creation of this beloved land.
ReplyDeleteThe blood of their martyred relations was shed for the Pakistan Movement. We must give credit to all those people for their immense sacrifices.