Information on the first-held public rally of the Mohajir Qaumi Mahaz's (MQM) could not be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB.

According to the attached 4 October 1993 Xinhua report, the MQM decided "recently" to rename itself the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. Information corroborating this name change could not be found.

According to various sources, the MQM split into two factions, namely the MQM Altaf group led by Altaf Hussain, and MQM Haqiqi in 1992 (Xinhua 2 Oct. 1993; AFP 11 Nov. 1994; FEER 3 Nov. 1994). According to the attached 12 June 1992 Xinhua report, 19 June 1992 is the precise date for the split, when the army cracked down on the MQM. Contradicting these two MQM division dates, however, the attached October 1993 AFP report states that "several months ago, the MQM split into two hostile factions" (1 Oct. 1993).

According to Keesing's, however, "The MQM had split into three main factions in 1992" (May 1993, 39466). The factions were not named within the article. The attached FRONTIER POST release also refers to a third MQM faction, stating that "the Azim Tariq group [emerged] as a separate entity in its own right..." as a result of Tariq's refusal of the chairmanship of the MQM Haqiqi (24 July 1993).

References to the support and arming of MQM Haqiqi against MQM Altaf by then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif could not be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB. However, the attached August 1992 AFP release refers to MQM leaders forced underground after "party members were arrested and their headquarters were attached by a dissident group, which was believed to have had the support of the government and the army" (5 Aug. 1992). The attached October 1993 AFP report states that "MQM Haqiqi is accused by the rival faction [MQM Altaf] of having switched its allegiance to the army" (1 Oct. 1993).

Sources consulted referred to Sind assembly by-elections held in May 1993 and to general elections held in October 1993 for national and provincial assemblies. The attached May 1993 Radio Pakistan Network release states that, according to provisional results of the by-elections for 20 seats in the Sind assembly, the MQM Haqiqi won 7 seats (6 May 1993). The names of the MQM candidates were not mentioned within the article. On 6 and 9 October 1993, general elections were scheduled for Pakistan's national and provincial assemblies (Xinhua 4 Oct. 1993). According to the attached Xinhua report of 2 October 1993 and the October 1993 Keesing's article, the MQM Altaf announced its boycott of these elections. The attached 1 September 1993 release by THE NATION states that "top leaders" of MQM Haqiqi "have, in principle, decided not to participate in the October polls." Two other sources make general reference to the decision of the MQM to boycott the October 1993 elections, without distinguishing factions (The Guardian 7 Oct. 1993; Xinhua 4 Oct. 1993). However, according to the attached October 1993 AFP release, the MQM decided to end its electoral boycott and take part in the elections to the Sindh provincial assembly (8 Oct. 1993). MQM and Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML), came to an understanding regarding these elections, under which Sharif's Sindh candidates in Karachi, Sukkur, Nawabshah, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas withdrew in favour of the MQM (ibid.). The attached 11 October 1993 BBC Summary article corroborates this MQM-PML understanding.

The attached BBC Summary release and Keesing's article, both of October 1993, state that the MQM Altaf won 27 seats in the October 1993 Sind provincial elections (BBC Summary 12 Oct. 1993; Keesing's Oct. 1993, 39685). This information is corroborated by AFP which states that the MQM won 27 urban seats out of the 100-member Sind assembly in the October 1993 general elections (11 June 1994). The names of MQM candidates for the 1993 elections, in addition to the party affiliations and names of the 1993 election winners for Karachi at the provincial level, could not be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB.

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 11 November 1994. Quatrina Hosain. "Pakistan's Anarchy City Sees New Eruption of Violence." (NEXIS)

_____. 11 June 1994. "Pakistani Ethnic Party Chief Vows Retaliation." (NEXIS)

_____. 8 October 1993. "Pakistan Party Reverses Boycott, Troubles Seen for Bhutto." (NEXIS)

_____. 1 October 1993. "Major Party to Boycott Pakistan Election Over Alleged Harassment." (NEXIS)

_____. [Hong Kong, in English]. 5 August 1992. "MQM Offers to Hold Talks to Solve Sindh Problems." (FBIS-NES-92-152 6 Aug. 1992, p. 45)

BBC Summary of the World Broadcasts. 12 October 1993. "Provincial Election Results by Party; Voter Turnout Figures." (NEXIS)

_____. 11 October 1993. "Nawaz Sharif-MQM Election Deal." (NEXIS)

Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) [Hong Kong]. 3 November 1994. Ahmed Rashid. "Biting the Hand That Fed it." (DIRB country file)

THE FRONTIER POST [Peshawar, in English]. 24 July 1993. "MQM Prospects: MQM Facing Poor Performance." (FBIS-NES-93-182-S 22 Sept. 1993, pp. 31-32)

The Guardian. 7 October 1993. Gerald Bourke and John Rettie. "Pakistan Poll Yields Hung Parliament." (NEXIS)

Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. October 1993. Vol. 39, No. 10. "Pakistan: General and Provincial Elections Return of Bhutto as Prime Minister."

_____. May 1993. Vol. 39, No. 5. "Pakistan: Reinstatement of Prime Minister."

THE NATION [Lahore, in English]. 1 September 1993. "MQM (H) Said Withdrawing from Elections." (FBIS-NES-93-182-S 22 Sept. 1993, pp. 77-78)

Radio Pakistan Network [Islamabad, in Urdu]. 6 May 1993. "Pakistan: Further Reportage on Sindh Assembly By-elections: Provisional Results Announced." (FBIS-NES-93-087 7 May 1993, pp. 51-52)

Xinhua General News Service. 12 June 1994. "Two Killed in Factional Clash in Karachi." (NEXIS)

_____. 4 October 1993. "Backgrounder: Main Parties in Pakistan 1993 Elections (Part One)." (NEXIS)

_____. 2 October 1993. "MQM (A) to Boycott Elections in Pakistan." (NEXIS)

Attachments

Agence France Presse (AFP). 8 October 1993. "Pakistan Party Reverses Boycott, Troubles Seen for Bhutto." (NEXIS)

_____. 1 October 1993. "Major Party to Boycott Pakistan Election Over Alleged Harassment." (NEXIS)

_____. [Hong Kong, in English]. 5 August 1992. "MQM Offers to Hold Talks to Solve Sindh Problems." (FBIS-NES-92-152 6 Aug. 1992, p. 45)

BBC Summary of the World Broadcasts. 12 October 1993. "Provincial Election Results by Party; Voter Turnout Figures." (NEXIS)

_____. 11 October 1993. "Nawaz Sharif-MQM Election Deal." (NEXIS)

THE FRONTIER POST [Peshawar, in English]. 24 July 1993. "MQM Prospects: MQM Facing Poor Performance." (FBIS-NES-93-182-S 22 Sept. 1993, pp. 31-32)

Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. October 1993. Vol. 39, No. 10. "Pakistan: General and Provincial Elections Return of Bhutto as Prime Minister," p. 39685.

_____. May 1993. Vol. 39, No. 5. "Pakistan: Reinstatement of Prime Minister," p. 39466-67.

THE NATION [Lahore, in English]. 1 September 1993. "MQM (H) Said Withdrawing from Elections." (FBIS-NES-93-182-S 22 Sept. 1993, pp. 77-78)

_____. 25 July 1993. "MQM Facing Difficulties." (FBIS-NES-93-182-S 22 Sept. 1993, p. 32)

Radio Pakistan Network [Islamabad, in Urdu]. 6 May 1993. "Pakistan: Further Reportage on Sindh Assembly By-elections: Provisional Results Announced." (FBIS-NES-93-087 7 May 1993, pp. 51-52)

Xinhua General News Service. 12 June 1994. "Two Killed in Factional Clash in Karachi." (NEXIS)

_____. 4 October 1993. "Backgrounder: Main Parties in Pakistan 1993 Elections (Part One)." (NEXIS)

_____. 2 October 1993. "MQM (A) to Boycott Elections in Pakistan." (NEXIS)

Sources Consulted

Amnesty International Report. Yearly. 1993, 1994.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Yearly. 1993.

DIRB "Amnesty International: Pakistan" country file. 1993 to present.

DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa]. "Pakistan." Weekly. 1992 to present.

DIRB "Pakistan" country file. 1992 to present.

Documentation, Information and Research Branch (DIRB), Immigration and Refugee Board, Ottawa. September 1994. Contextual Information Package: Pakistan.

_____. September 1994. Human Rights Information Package: Pakistan.

Encyclopedia of the Third World 1992. 1992.

Europa World Year Book. Yearly. 1992, 1993.

Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Reports. Daily. 1992 to present.

Human Rights Watch World Report [New York]. Yearly. 1993, 1994.

INS Resource Information Center [Washington, DC]. November 1993. Profile Series: Pakistan.

Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. Monthly. 1992 to 1993.

Lawyers Committee for Human Rights [New York]. Critique: Review of the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Yearly. 1993.

News from Asia Watch [New York].

Political Handbook of the World. 1992.

Revolutionary and Dissident Movements of the World: An International Guide. 1991.