ot many Muttahida Qaumi Movement leaders and workers about a decade ago might have imagined that its current chief Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui will be leading the party.

Siddiqui had previously served as party chief from 1993 to 98. However, back then the looming presence of the party’s founder made the position appear ceremonial. Following that stint, he had spent more than a decade in the United Kingdom and the United States of America - establishing a reasonable structure for the MQM organisations abroad.

The MQM-P leader lives in a modest house [120 square yards] a few streets away from the previous party headquarters popularly known as Nine-Zero. Unlike some other MQM leaders who are accused of having made quick financial fortunes, he has been beyond repreoach on this count.

Some analysts now argue that the MQM-P is compromised. At the same time, they acknowledge that Siddiqui is trying keep the party alive and relevant, after what it went through on August 22, 2016.

Soon after the August events, the MQM fragmented into several factions. Some of its leaders were accused of avoiding one another in public. Today, most of them are united under Siddiqui’s leadership. The storm appears to have passed. The party chief, however, believes that “we are still not out of the crisis.

“Our party offices are still closed. Around 200 of our workers had gone missing. Some of them have been recovered, but many have yet to return to their homes. We are focussing on reviving our party,” he tells The News on Sunday.

After becoming the chief, one of the biggest challenges for Siddiqui was to make the MQM-P an electoral favourite for the people of urban Sindh. A wave favouring the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf was sweeping Karachi. The MQM, which used to win 18 to 20 National Assembly seats in the city, was reduced to only four seats in 2018 polls. Some of its candidates lost with small margins.

Siddiqui, an avid reader, says: “Even during those times, our party workers remained focused. Most of them were aligned with MQM-P’s Bahadurabad faction, which had the most support from the party leadership.”

“The party workers and supporters realised that power or authority of the mandate of Karachi was still with us. Only the [formal] mandate was managed... We faced many crises.”

Responding to a question about infighting in the party, Siddiqui says such reports are false. He says the party leadership is focused on serving its voters, in order to regain the confidence and support from the voters. He says problems in the party are not unique to it. Importantly, the party is moving in the right direction.

“Our party offices are still closed. Around 200 of our workers were missing. Some of them have been recovered, but many have yet to return home. We are focussing on reviving our party,” says Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.

The MQM-P participated in the 2024 general elections with an agenda to empower local governments and make sure that apart from the National Finance Commission, a Provincial Finance Commission is established so that financial resources are fairly allocated at the third tier of the government. For this purpose, the MQM-P has proposed three resolutions or bills. However, since the elections, the party has not made any progress in this regard.

Commenting on this, Siddiqui, a federal minister, says, “We have been in talks about this with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. They broadly agree with what we are demanding. However, the talks are still under way.”

“I agree that at this point in politics, public relations and propaganda are very important. However, we will mostly focus on giving back to our voters. That’s the only focus at the moment,” he says.

The MQM-P has on several occasions claimed to have improved the structure of the party and brought youngsters into their Rabita Committee. Siddiqui claims that it is moving in the right direction and that change will be visible very soon.

The MQM-P chief believes that they have made significant progress amid very challenging times. The achievement encourages us to strive for more, he says.

Journalist Mazhar Abbas says that Siddiqui has been a very dynamic member and leader of the MQM-P. He recalls that his participation in the party goes back to almost the inception of the party as he had been the APMSO chairman as well.

Regardless, Abbas points out that currently he is heading a party that is facing many challenges. These include internal rifts in the party and unpopularity among some sections of the society that previously supported the party.

Abbas says that Siddiqui is known for his firm commitment to his political cause. “However, being the head of the party as well as keeping the ministry may not to be the right approach.”

Abbas says that there is a stark difference between the MQM of the past and the MQM-P of the present. “Today, it is a weaker party; questions over its victory in the recent elections refuse to go away. Nevertheless, the future of MQM-P depends on its political choices. If they decide to do their brand of neighbourhood politics, practically exhibit their efforts for the people of urban Sindh, they may find some space and regain the confidence of their voters. Otherwise, three major parties, the PPP, the PTI and the JI are ready to replace them in the urban Sindh,” Abbas says.

The writer is a Karachi-based journalist who covers politics, human rights and environment. He tweets at @sheharyaralii