Afaq Ahmed ( ur, ; born March 22, 1962) is a Pakistani politician who is the founder and leader of
Muhajir Qaumi Movement (Haqiqi)
The Mohajir Qaumi Movement Pakistan ( ur, ) formerly known as Mohajir Qaumi Movement (Haqiqi), MQM-Haqiqi is a political party claiming to represent the Mohajir in Sindh, Pakistan whose leader is Afaq Ahmed.
History
The Movement was original ...
(MQM-H), a break-away faction of the much larger than
Muhajir Qaumi Movement which later became
Muttahida Qaumi Movement Muttahida Qaumi Movement (abbreviated MQM) is a name currently claimed by two competing Pakistani political factions:
* Muttahida Qaumi Movement – London, a political faction managed from the UK
* Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan
Muttah ...
(MQM).
Life and career
Born to a
Muhajir
Muhajir or Mohajir ( ar, مهاجر, '; pl. , ') is an Arabic word meaning ''migrant'' (see immigration and emigration) which is also used in other languages spoken by Muslims, including English. In English, this term and its derivatives may refer ...
family in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
, Ahmed graduated from
University of Karachi
The University of Karachi ( sd, ; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a public research university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the University of Sindh (whic ...
.
While still a student, he joined the
All Pakistan Muttahidda Students Organization
The All Pakistan Muttahida Students Organization (APMSO; ) is a Pakistani student organization notable for creating a political party: the Mohajir Quami Movement, now called the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
APMSO was founded by Altaf Hu ...
(APMSO) led by
Altaf Hussain. Later, when the APMSO became a political party under the leadership of Hussain, Ahmed served as the party's joint secretary. However, in 1992, owing to some ideological differences with Altaf Hussain, Ahmed left the MQM and announced the creation of his own party named Mohajir Qaumi Movement - Haqiqi. Ahmed had to face serious consequences for this open rivalry with Altaf Hussain. His house was set on fire in the early 2010s and many of his supporters including some of his close relatives were murdered.
He contested
2018 Pakistani general election
General elections were held in Pakistan on Wednesday, 25 July 2018 to elect the members of 15th National Assembly and the four Provincial Assemblies. The three major parties Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led by Imran Khan, the Pakistan Muslim ...
from constituency
NA-240 (Korangi Karachi-II)
NA-234 (Korangi Karachi-II) () is a constituency for the National Assembly of Pakistan. The constituency represents much of Korangi, and the western parts of Landhi.
Members of Parliament
2002–2018: NA-255 (Karachi-XVII)
Since 2018: NA-240 ...
as a candidate of MQM-H but didn't succeed in winning and received 14,376 votes only.
Resignation from MQM-Haqiqi's chairmanship
Afaq Ahmed resigned from his leadership post in response to the election results which he claims were rigged. Speaking at a press conference at his house in Defence Housing Authority, Ahmed said, “We have failed to counter the conspiracies” and he advised the workers to choose a better leader. He later withdrawn his decision after few days.
Controversy
Imprisonment
An operation was launched against Mohajir Qaumi Movement in 2002 after they secured a seat of National Assembly from Landhi constituency. Even Altaf Hussain felt the fear that with the rise of Afaq Ahmed, his politics might fail. Afaq Ahmed was arrested in 2004 following the rise to power of the rival MQM in Sindh. Several allegations and cases were charged on him which later proved to be false. In late September 2011, the
Sindh High Court
The High Court of Sindh ( ur, ) is the highest judicial institution of the Pakistani province of Sindh. Established in 1906, the Court situated in the provincial capital at Karachi. Apart from being the highest Court of Appeal for Sindh in ...
finally granted Ahmed bail seven years after his arrest. The Sindh government refused to grant his release, citing concerns over the maintenance of law and order.
On December 16, 2011, the Sindh High Court declared Ahmed's imprisonment under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) illegal and ordered him to be set free.
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmed, Afaq
1962 births
Living people
Muhajir people
Muttahida Qaumi Movement politicians
Politicians from Karachi
Pakistani prisoners and detainees
University of Karachi alumni