Muhajir politics

Muhajir Politics refers to the politics and nationalism of Muhajirs in Pakistan.

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Background

The Muhajirs have started many socio-political groups such as Muttahida Qaumi Movement under Altaf Hussain in 1984, All Pakistan Muslim League under Pervez Musharraf and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf under Imran Khan as a populist movement,[1][2][3] The literacy rate among the Muhajirs is very high in Pakistan.[4] Although the Muhajirs were, socially, urbane and liberal they sided with the country's religious political parties, which were created and dominated by Indian Muslims, such as Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan and Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan.[5]

History

1947-1958

Since the partition of India in 1947, the Muhajirs to Pakistan largely settled in the Sindh, particularly in the province's capital, Karachi, where the Muhajirs became a majority. As a result of the Muhajir domination of major Sindhi cities, there were been tensions between Muhajirs and the native Sindhis. The Muhajirs, upon their arrival in Pakistan, soon joined the Punjabi-dominated ruling elite of the country due to their high rates of education and urban background.[6] They possessed the required expertise for running Pakistan's nascent bureaucracy and economy.[7]

1958–1965

From 1958 till the death of Fatima Jinnah the Muhajirs supported Fatima Jinnah.[8] The Muhajir diaspora was upset by Khan’s ideas on institutional framework, and they voted for Fatima Jinnah over Ayub Khan in the first general election in 1964. As a result, Khan’s victory and the ensuing confrontations in Karachi between Muhajirs and Pashtuns fostered a sense of unease.[9]

1965–1971

With Muhajirs already angry with Ayub Khan after he defeated or allegedly rigged elections, the youth backed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto after he left Ayub's cabinet. Another reason for their support to Bhutto was his anti-India stance, as migrants from India had come to Pakistan it was but a natural reaction.[8]

1971–1988

The 1970 Pakistani general election on 7 December 1970, saw the emergence of the Bengali dominated Awami League, which won the elections. When an ethnic Sindhi, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, became the country's prime minister in December 1971, after the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War the Muhajirs feared that they would be further side-lined, this time by the economic and political resurgence of Sindhis under Bhutto. The Muhajirs voted for Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan. Muhajirs had decisively lost their place in the ruling elite, but they were still an economic force to reckon with (especially in Urban Sindh).[10]

2016–Present

Amid a fractured MQM, the populist leader Imran Khan's PTI started to dominate Karachi's politics with a multiethnic support base from all walks of life, including the Muhajirs mainly from upper-middle and middle class, while lower-middle class muhajirs turned to Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan.[11] Despite tough opposition from PPP and TLP, PTI managed to bag the popular vote en masses during the 2018 Pakistani general elections, though with a lower voter turnout which was believed to be a result of Altaf Hussain's election boycott.[12][13] PTI continued to win elections held in muhajir areas till 2022,[14][15] but in 2023, after the merger of the MQM factions under the banner of MQM-P, MQM staged a comeback into Muhajir politics.[16] In 2023 Karachi local government elections MQM-P's boycott resulted in very low voter turnouts in the Muhajir dominated areas of Karachi, especially Karachi Central District.[17]


References
  1. Cohen, Stephen P. (2011), "Pakistan: Arrival and Departure", The future of Pakistan, The Brookings Institution, p. 22, The avowedly secular Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)...
  2. Lyon, Peter (2008), "Mohajir Qaumi Mahaz", Conflict between India and Pakistan: An Encyclopedia, ABC-CLIO, p. 115, Despite its ethnic-based politics, the MQM claims to be the only significant political force in Pakistan to stand up openly for secular values.
  3. Sardar, Ziauddin; Yassin-Kassab, Robin (2012). Pakistan?. ISBN 9781849042239. Imran's mother was Muhajir and father Pashtun; both were Karachi natives. ... Imran if he felt as torn as the city itself, between allegiances, even within his own family.
  4. "The Mohajir: Identity and politics in multiethnic Pakistan". OBSERVER RESEARCH FOUNDATION.
  5. Kamala Visweswaran (6 May 2011). Perspectives on Modern South Asia: A Reader in Culture, History, and Representation. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 97–. ISBN 978-1-4051-0062-5. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  6. Tai Yong Tan; Gyanesh Kudaisya (2000). The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia. Routledge. p. 235. ISBN 0-415-17297-7. Sind province itself became a centre of Muhajir immigration, with 57 per cent of the population of Karachi [being Muhajirs] ... [They] 'were more educated than the province's original Muslim population' ... It was inevitable that a sense of competition and hostility between the two communities would develop. As the Muhajirs made their presence felt in the civil service the local Sinhis began to feel threatened ... In the early years of Pakistan, the Muhajirs dominated the commercial, administrative and service sector of the province ...the modern and urbanised Muhajirs ... quickly established themselves.
  7. "Who are the Mohajirs and why do they fight the Pashtuns? - eNotes.com". eNotes. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
  8. "Urdu-speaking to Muhajir politics". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  9. Shukhat, Ayesha (2022-02-17). "The Muhajir Movement: A Political and Social Aspect". Modern Diplomacy. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  10. Paracha, Nadeem F. (2014-04-20). "The evolution of Mohajir politics and identity". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  11. Paracha, Nadeem F. (2022-01-30). "SMOKERS' CORNER: IS KARACHI READY FOR CHANGE?". Dawn. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  12. Azfar-ul-Ashfaque (2022-03-13). "WHERE IS THE MQM HEADED?". Dawn. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  13. Zaidi, Syed Sheheryar Raza (2023-01-25). "'Mohajir problem'". Dawn. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  14. "Live updates: Latest NA-249 Karachi by-election results". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  15. "NA-239 Korangi, Karachi-I by-election results 2022". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  16. "MQM factions reunite ahead of local govt elections in Karachi, Hyderabad". Dawn. 2023-01-12. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  17. Paracha, Nadeem F. (2023-01-22). "Smokers' Corner: When the Polling Goes Awry". Dawn. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
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