OVER the past few days, an invective-filled exchange has been taking place in Karachi that has brought into the open the internal turmoil convulsing the MQM, while also involving those political factions that have broken away from it.

Many of the things being said about the party and its Byzantine, often bloody, internal workings were once discussed in hushed tones; now these stinging allegations are being repeated on national television.

The latest in a series of episodes was sparked on Monday when former Karachi city mayor and current head of the Pak Sarzameen Party Mustafa Kamal unleashed a barrage of allegations against Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad.

The tough-talking PSP chief accused the governor of indulging in ‘massive corruption’ and providing ‘oxygen’ to Altaf Hussain.

The normally mild-mannered governor has responded in kind, levelling similar charges against Mr Kamal.

The latest salvo came on Thursday, when the PSP leader called for a probe against the allegations made against him. Mr Kamal claimed he had approached Mr Ibad for a possible political alliance when the former returned to politics in March; apparently, their stars were not in alignment, which explains the venomous exchanges.

At present, it is clear that the MQM has split into four distinct factions — in addition to the Haqiqi faction: the loyalist group in London that has rallied around Altaf Hussain; the Farooq Sattar-led MQM Pakistan; the PSP which contains many former Muttahida cadres; and the Sindh governor who, while currently without political affiliation, was once an MQM stalwart.

All four factions have levelled serious allegations against each other, with murder, militancy and corruption being common themes.

Even Mr Sattar, once a diehard Altaf loyalist, has taken pains to distance himself from the party supremo after the latter’s inflammatory Aug 22 speech.

Perhaps the public muckraking is one way for these factions to clear their conscience. After all, all these individuals — Mustafa Kamal, Ishratul Ibad, Farooq Sattar and others — were once central cogs within the Muttahida machine.

Their current ‘admissions’ confirm suspicions that the party was run more like a mafia racket, though it must be said that these high-ranking politicians could not have been completely unaware of the party’s undesirable activities, even if they were not involved. So why the lengthy silences and sudden appreciation for the ‘truth’?

All factions must admit that there was a dark phase in the MQM’s history when many misdeeds were committed, and that they were aware of them.

Whether it is the May 12, 2007, mayhem, the murders of Hakim Saeed, Azeem Ahmed Tariq and others, or the epidemic of violence Karachi suffered under the MQM’s watch, the truth must come out, especially if what is being said is more than just political rhetoric.

Further investigations are in order, and if those involved in making these accusations are serious, they must present proof in court in order to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2016