Lahore: This is not the first time that the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are at odds with each other.
The latest MQM-led protest against the current PPP regime in Sindh has forced some Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises to cancel their practice sessions on Wednesday evening, hours before the start of the professional Twenty20 cricket league - so Pakistan was troubling the cricket board. PSL, Franchisee owners and other stakeholders.
These two political entities have nurtured a love-hate relationship with each other since December 1988, when the MQM was instrumental in the formation of the Benazir Bhutto-led government.
On December 16, 1988, or a fortnight after Benazir was sworn in as the country's prime minister, a partial curfew was ordered in Karachi, as the death toll from the ethnic riots rose to 10.
However, the MQM left the coalition in October 1989 when differences developed after Sindhi nationalists killed dozens in an MQM congregation, and the coalition broke up in the wake of ensuing violence.
The two sides came together again in July 2000, when a National Accountability Bureau court found MQM leader Farooq Sattar.
In August 2002, however, Farooq Sattar had ruled out any electoral alliance with the PPP. On 12 October 2002, the late Benazir Bhutto stated that he did not rule out cooperation, after being unable to form a provincial government without the support of the independent winners of the PPP or the MQM (after a split mandate from the October 2002 elections). With the political unit of Altaf Hussain, provided differences are set aside for a fresh start.
On 29 October 2002, the PPP and MQM held talks and therefore agreed to continue talks to form a coalition government in Sindh. After the February 2008 elections, both the MQM and the PPP joined hands in both the federal government and the Sindh Assembly.
The MQM left the federal cabinet and its members were bitter against the PPP's Interior Minister Zulfiqar Mirza in Sindh. The riots broke out on 2 August 2010 following the murder of an MP, Raza Haider, who was a member of the MQM.
As of 3 August 2010, at least 35 people had been killed and on 17 August, unidentified gunmen killed the son of a prominent Shia cleric and three policemen in a series of targeted attacks. The delimitation of Karachi's constituencies and targeted killings also remained a bone of contention between the two coalition partners during the PPP regime from 2008 to 2013, and so did the issue of the National Reconciliation Order (NRO).
The MQM opposed the NRO in November 2009, while the PPP hierarchy tried to legitimize it by making it a part of the Constitution. The issue of a reformed general sales tax had also proved to be a point of contention between these two political bodies. The proposed tax was rightly rejected by the MQM and the horn was locked.
Last but not least, when the then Home Minister of Sindh Zulfikar Mirza accused the MQM of being involved in the targeted killings. The founders of MQM and their allies were outraged. They demanded immediate removal of Mirza and the MQM gave 10 days to the PPP government in this regard.
Ultimately, the MQM left the federal cabinet on December 27, 2010, but decided to sit on the Treasury bench and support the government. Interestingly, the MQM reversed the decision five days later and its MPs were seen requesting for seats on the opposition benches.
In October 2011, after Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain's Pakistan Muslim League-Q announced that it would not leave the PPP-led ruling coalition (as was being widely speculated), the MQM said it would re-appear in the Treasury Bench. will be attending.
In February 2012, the MQM left the Sindh and central governments led by the PPP.
In October 2012, when President Zardari met with the founder of the MQM in London, both parties reaffirmed that they would continue their uneasy alliance.
In February 2013, the MQM again announced to leave the PPP government.
In June 2013, various PPP leaders appeared optimistic in the media about the MQM joining the Sindh government.
On 4 February 2014, both MQM and PPP MPs were seen fighting on the floor of the Sindh Assembly.
And in January 2014, the PPP invited its former ally, the MQM, to rejoin the Sindh government.
In November 2014, the MQM once again terminated its short-lived alliance with the PPP in Sindh for the fifteenth time.