Muttahida Qaumi Movement
متحدہ قومی موومنٹ |
|
---|---|
Leader | Altaf Hussain |
Convener | Nadeem Nusrat |
Founder | Altaf Hussain |
Founded | March 18, 1984 |
Headquarters |
Nine Zero; 494/8, Azizabad, F.B Area Karachi, Pakistan |
Students wing | All Pakistan Muttahidda Students Organization (APMSO) |
Charity Wing | Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF) |
Ideology |
Liberalism Social liberalism Muhajir nationalism Secularism |
Political position | Left-wing |
Colors |
Red, green and white |
Slogan | Empowering People |
Senate |
8 / 104
|
National Assembly |
24 / 342
|
Sindh Assembly |
50 / 168
|
Party flag | |
Website | |
www |
Nine Zero; 494/8, Azizabad, F.B Area
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) (Urdu: متحدہ قومی موومنٹ, Muttaḥidah Qọ̄mī Mūwmaṅṫ), is a secular political party in Pakistan that was founded by Altaf Hussain in 1984. Currently the party is split between 2 main factions. MQM-London faction is controlled by Altaf Hussain from London, while MQM-Pakistan is run by Farooq Sattar based in Pakistan.
It was founded as a student organization, All Pakistan Muhajir Student Organization (APMSO), in 1978 by Altaf Hussain. APMSO gave birth to the Muhajir Qaumi Movement in 1984. In 1997, the MQM removed the term Muhajir (that denotes the party roots among the country's Urdu-speaking community) from its name and replaced it with Muttahida ("United"). The MQM is generally known as a party that holds strong mobilizing potential in Karachi, having traditionally been the dominant political force in the city. Muttahida Qaumi Movement is the second largest party in Sindh and overall the fourth-largest party in the National Assembly of Pakistan after the Pakistan Muslim League (N), Pakistan Peoples Party, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf.
The party has kept its influence over Pakistan's federal government as a key coalition partner since the late 1980s (1988-1990, 1990-1992, 2002-2007, 2008-2013). However, MQM parliamentarians resigned from the National Assembly, Senate and Provincial Assembly of Sindh in protest against a crackdown on party supporters.