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OO RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHKP #0141/01 0561224
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 251224Z FEB 08
FM AMCONSUL KARACHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0320
INFO RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 4007
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1712
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 2450
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 4336
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCJACC/USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUCQAAA/USCINCCENT INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KARACHI 000141 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PK
SUBJECT: MQM WORRIED ABOUT POST-ELECTION MANUEUVERING 
 
REF: ISLAMABAD 745 
 
Classified By: Kay Anske, Consul General, reason 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 ¶1.  (C) Summary:  The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) is 
concerned about any coalition formed by the Pakistan 
Peoples, Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz 
(PML-N).  With PML-N publicly stating that it will not talk 
with the MQM, the MQM is crying foul and wants &respect8. 
It also claims that PML-N,s issues/demands would only lead 
to confrontation with Musharraf, instead of focusing on the 
economy and insurgency.  They fear that this desire for 
confrontation could lead to confrontation with the MQM as 
well, resulting in unrest in Karachi.  The MQM is asking the 
USG to bring their concerns to Zardari,s attention.  End 
summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) is concerned about 
any coalition formed by the Pakistan Peoples, Party (PPP) 
and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).  The PML-N has 
publicly stated that it will not talk with the MQM.  PPP 
Co-Chair Asif Zardari stated that he is willing to work with 
the MQM but that &certain people8 in Karachi had great 
reservations about working with the MQM.  According to the 
Governor of Sindh (an MQM-er) in a meeting with the Consul 
General (CG) on February 23, the &certain people8 included 
PPP Sindh Executive Secretary Nafees Saddiqui. 
 
¶3.  (C) In a conversation with the CG later in the same 
evening, Karachi Nazim (Mayor) Mustafa Kamal (an MQM-er) 
repeated that Nawaz Sharif refused to talk with the MQM.  The 
Nazim asked how could the MQM be part of a coalition that 
included PML-N if PML-N refused to talk with the MQM.  Even 
if the PPP wanted a coalition with the MQM, it would be 
impossible in any government that included PML-N. 
 
¶4.  (C) Both the Governor and the Nazim stated that any 
coalition of the PPP and the PML-N would be short-lived as 
the two parties were polar opposites.  The Governor mentioned 
that General Zia-ul-Huq had proclaimed Nawaz Sharif his 
&son8.  How could the PPP work with the &son8 of the man 
who killed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto?  The Nazim calls Nawaz a 
&mullah without a beard8 and that any government that 
included Nawaz would be opening the door to Islamic 
fundamentalists. 
 
¶5.  (C) The MQM is concerned that Nawaz Sharif wants only 
confrontation with Musharraf and any person or party that had 
been allied with the President.  The Governor stated that by 
focusing only on confrontation, Pakistan would lose sight of 
bigger issues, such as the economy and terrorism.  The 
Governor feared that Sharif will speak out against the MQM 
and/or the PML.  Such harsh words would cause great 
&trouble8 in Sindh and Balochistan since the MQM is a 
significant presence in Sindh and the PML won the provincial 
government in Balochistan. 
 
¶6.  (C) Both the Governor and the Nazim declared that 
confrontation with the MQM would lead to problems and 
violence in Karachi.  Since Karachi is the engine driving 
Pakistan,s economy, any prolonged trouble in Karachi would 
have direct negative impact on the country,s economy. 
 
¶7.  (C) MQM rank and file workers are upset about the 
statements made by Sharif.  They are also upset that while 
MQM leader Altaf Hussain immediately congratulated the PPP on 
its win, Zardari took several days before speaking to 
Hussain.  (The two did not speak until the night of Friday, 
February 22.)  The workers felt &dissed8 by such actions. 
 
¶8.  (C) The message is that the MQM wants to have &good 
relations8 with the PPP.  It is not asking to be part of any 
coalition.  In fact, the MQM might decide to be in the 
Opposition.  The MQM asks only that the relationship between 
the PPP and the MQM be one built on mutual respect.  This is 
particularly the case in Sindh where any confrontation would 
result in deadlock in the Assembly and spill over into the 
streets.  The MQM through the Governor and Nazim asks the USG 
to raise their concerns with Zardari. 
 
¶9.  (C) Comment:  The MQM seems truly worried about the 
maneuvering that is occurring as political parties form 
governments at both the national and provincial level.  It 
fears that if the PML-N and Nawaz Sharif himself continue to 
refuse to talk to the MQM and persuade the PPP to adopt the 
 
KARACHI 00000141  002 OF 002 
 
 
same attitude, then tempers will flare and old hatreds could 
resurface.  The very real fear by everyone in Karachi, not 
just the MQM, is that such an attitude will lead to violence 
in Karachi.  According to the MQM, violence will cripple 
Pakistan,s economy, be a great distraction from large issues 
such as the fight against terrorism, and provide cover for 
terrorists to gain a foothold in Karachi and Pakistan, 
results that no one wants to see.  While the fear of the 
&dark times8 returning to Karachi is very real, the MQM is 
seeking through the USG to persuade the PPP to include their 
party in the negotiation. 
ANSKE