KARACHI:
The two factions of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) have drifted further apart as political observers suggest that the groups led by Mustafa Kamaml and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui have now virtually split from each other.
However, party leader Anees Qaimkhani said differences of opinion may arise but Muttahida remains united.
One faction of the MQM-P led by Mustafa Kamal organized a rally in Liaquatabad on Saturday, while the other faction led by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui organized a meeting at the Governor House at the same time to demonstrate their political and parliamentary position.
The Bahadurabad group, led by MQM-P president Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, includes his strong allies Dr Farooq Sattar and Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori.
On the other side is Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal’s group, which includes Anees Qaimkhani along with workers and assembly members who were elected under MQM Pakistan’s “kite” symbol but are now aligned with Mustafa Kamal’s camp.
The division within the MQM-P has persisted for several months, with differences between Mustafa Kamal and the Bahadurabad group emerging soon after their merger in January 2023. Tensions rose when former Pak Sarzameen Party workers arrived at the Bahadurabad headquarters and chanted slogans against the Sindh governor and certain Bahadurabad leaders.
The rift deepened in February 2025, when Mustafa Kamal and Anees Qaimkhani left the MQM-P’s official WhatsApp group and political activities in the temporary center of Bahadurabad ceased.
For more than six months, leaders, workers and lawmakers on both sides have been holding separate press conferences. Although neither faction has formally announced a split, both have expressed grievances against each other in unofficial meetings. Anees Qaimkhani says he is a senior party leader and that the MQM-P has launched a public protest and outreach campaign in Karachi against the Pakistan People’s Party, which he claims has dominated the city for the past seventeen years and committed continuous injustices against its residents.
When asked about differences within Muttahida, Qaimkhani said that as political people, differences of opinion can arise anywhere and they believe in resolving disagreements behind closed doors.
Responding to a question on why Khalid Maqbool or Farooq Sattar were not present at their rally, he said that all the leaders could not gather at one place; some attended the Governor House program while others joined the rally in Liaquatabad.
MQM Pakistan leader Ameenul Haq said that at the ‘Future of Karachi’ program held at the Governor House, people from various walks of life came together to discuss the city’s problems and their solutions.
Another MQM-P leader said the Liaquatabad rally was actually a PSP event and had no connection with the MQM.
Sources say that one of the key reasons behind the rift between the two factions of the MQM is the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Following the Gul Plaza tragedy, the Mustafa Kamal group had planned a protest in Karachi against the PPP on January 31. However, the leader of the Bahadurabad group, Farooq Sattar, traveled to Islamabad and after meeting PPP leaders and intermediaries, the protest was called off. The differences between the factions are now fully visible, but party workers seem to be the most affected. Many workers consider both Anees Qaimkhani and Khalid Maqbool as their leaders, leaving them caught in the middle of the dispute.
Recently, Malir Town workers handed over the keys of their unit and sectoral offices to Khalid Maqbool, reflecting internal uncertainty. They were also not sure whether to participate in the Liaquatabad demonstration or stay away.
Karachi’s 31 cities, formerly known as sectors, come under the Central Organizing Committee (COC). Workers in these cities say division has seeped from the leadership to the grassroots, with some aligning with Anees Qaimkhani and others with Khalid Maqbool. A North Nazimabad city worker urged leaders to resolve their disputes or formally separate, allowing workers to decide who to follow.
