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Several political parties and groups in Karachi have joined hands to form an unofficial alliance against Muttahida Qaumi Movement and are reportedly backing Afaq Ahmed led Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi  – a move that has rung alarm bells for MQM.

Muttahida leadership has ordered its activists to be vigilant round the clock and establish new pickets on its unit and sector offices, sources have told Ummat.
Meanwhile, sources say, Britain for the first time was also giving consideration to Afaq group and had withheld visa for Aamir Khan – who recently dissolved his own group and surrendered to MQM- and wanted to visit MQM’s London Secretariat.
MQM become particularly concerned about possible return of Haiqiqi when Afaq’s group joined Liyari Aman Committee, Awami National Party, Punjabi Pakhtun Itehad, Sindh Dost Itehad and other parties to welcome outspoken former minister Zulfiqar Mirza at Sassi Toll Plaza at National Highway in the suburbs of Karachi.  Haiqi workers carried portraits of Afaq and party flags.
Mirza, the dissident PPP leader, spoke in favour of Afaq and urged the courts to release him. Mirza said he would receive Afaq on the day of his release from jail and lead a procession to bring him to Landhi, the former stronghold of Haqiqi.
Sources say this announcement and unofficial alliance of opponents led MQM to initiate elaborate precautionary steps, including establishment of new checkpoints and increased surveillance of Landhi’s Sherpao colony, where most of Haqiqi activists took refuge to flee crackdown during Musharraf rule and maintained a temporary headquarters.
Muttahida was also keeping a watch on four other districts harboring Haqiqi workers, who are being protected by ANP and PPI and Liyari Aman Committee, sources say.
On the other hand, Britian has become careful in issuing visas to MQM leaders for the first time since 1992.
Sources say Aamir Khan, who was released from jail after apologizing to MQM leadership a few months ago, wanted to visit London to see Altaf Hussain and submitted a visa application.
MQM leader Dr. Farooq Sattar requested British High Commssion to approve visa for Aamir but his request and Aamir’s application still lingered at the diplomatic mission, sources say.
The delay was partially linked to new developments in Imran Farooq murder case but Britain is also giving consideration to Afaq and mulling whether it could afford to annoy the Haqiqi group while ensuring its interests in Karachi, they said.
In the past UK High Commission would immediately proceed visa requests with covering letter from MQM leadership.

http://ummatenglish.com/exclusive/2011/09/05/fears-of-haqiqis-return.html

There were unconfirmed reports on Saturday that British authorities are not allowing Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain to leave the country after he tried to flee London for South Africa.

The reports surfaced as sources in Pakistan reveals that two suspects, arrested at Karachi airport earlier this week in connection with Imran Farooq assassination case, could have been murdered -to destroy evidence in the high profile assassination -if they were not arrested.
Reports that Altaf tried to leave London have been backed by some reliable sources and detailed by an online newspaper The London Post, which said, “Altaf Hussain was hiding in the Wrexham area close to Slough in Berkshire for the past few days. He was stopped when was going to Heathrow Airport in a private taxi. Interestingly the taxi driver was a Pakistani whom Mr Hussain thought as an English man due to his appearance. “[sic]
The newspaper said Altaf Hussain told the authorities that ‘he is leaving UK and going to South Africa for security reasons and personal protection’. But he was told that, ‘security can be provided to him in the UK’.
It is not yet clear if Altaf Hussain was detained or taken in protective custody, added The London Post.
Other sources say he was taken back to his residence and barred from leaving London.
Sources say MQM’s London secretariat was one of the two London offices raided by British police on Thursday.
Altaf could be stripped from his British nationality if MQM leadership is found involved in the murder of Imran Farooq – a dissidenter in the party when he was killed last September, sources said.
Imran Farooq murder investigation has apparently entered into final stage.
Sources say MQM activist Khalid Shamim, who has been arrested from Karachi, played important role in the murder. He was assisted by a member of MQM’s student wing the APMSO, they said adding that the second person was identified as Hamad Saddiqui.
The pair is different from the one arrested at Karachi airport on British request earlier this week.
Those arrested from the airport had been sent to Britain by Shamim and Saddiqui, who had arranged student visas for them, sources revealed.
The airport pair –still not identified- spent months in Singapore after they fled London following Imran Farooq murder, said the sources.
They traveled to South Africa and Sri Lanka before arriving in Karachi, where authorities were ready to nab them as Scotland Yard and Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency had extensively communicated on the issue, our sources add.
Khalid Shamim had planned to murder the both men soon after their arrival in the city, revealed the sources.
Another report said Shamim’s arrest came after a senior intelligence officer had contacted a high level government official linked to MQM.
Altaf Hussain had prior information on communications between Pakistani and British officials and this was one of the reasons he complained about misleading reports from FIA and IB, in a telephone conversation with President Zardari.
Sources say the pair arrested from Karachi airport were being questioned at a secret location in Islamabad and a telephone recording of their voices, tapped immediately after Farooq murder, had been played to them.
This, the sources said, help glean more information from the two men.
Meanwhile, sources in MQM London secretariat say Altaf Hussain did not leave his home and there was no question of his detention or arrest.

http://ummatenglish.com/exclusive/2011/08/27/the-escape-attempt-and-plan-to-murder-suspects.html