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Altaf Hussain

ABOUT MR. ALTAF HUSSAIN
FOUNDER & LEADER OF MQM

Altaf Hussain was born in Karachi on 17 September 1953. His parents were immigrants from India. His father, Nazir Hussain, was a Station Master in Indian Railways who, after migrating to Karachi, worked as an office worker ai a local mill. Altaf Husaain's grandfather, the Late Mohammad Mufti Ramazan, was Grand Mufti of the town of Agra in UP, India, and his maternal grandfather. Haji Hafiz Raheem Bhux was a reputed religious scholar in India.

Altaf Hussain completed his Bachelor of Science from Islamia Science College (Karachi) in 1974, and Bachelor of Pharmacy in 1979 from the University of Karachi. He began his career as a trainee at Karachi’s Seventh Day Adventist Hospital. He also worked simultaneously for a multi-national pharmaceutical company. Between 1970 and 1971, Altaf Hussain joined the National Service Cadet Scheme. Soon afterwards, he was recruited in the Baloch Regiment of the Pakistan Army. Mr Hussain has been politically active from a very young age. While attending the University of Karachi, he served as General Secretary and, later, as President of the National Students’ Action Committee. He founded the All-Pakistan Mohajir Students' Organization (APMSO) on the 11 June 1978. The APMSO was formed as an activist group campaigning for the rights of Mohajir students at the University of Karachi. Later, in 1984, It gave birth to the Mohajir Quami Movement (MQM). On 19 June 1992, the Pakistan Government launched the first army operation against the MQM. A month before the operation, because of an attack on his life on 21 December 1991, Mr Hussain fled from Karachi to London where he sought political asylum which was granted to him by the British Government. While in exile, he transformed the Mohajir Quami Movement to Muttahida Quami Movement in 1997 in order to provide a nationwide platform to the oppressed of the country. Despite his self-exile, Mr Hussain holds considerable political influence and power within Pakistan.

KHIDMAT-E-KHALQ FOUNDATION

I- SERVICES RENDERED BY THE KHIDMAT-E-KHALQ FOUNDATION

The way the MQM’s Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation has aided the poor, the deprived and the deserving; irrespective of their colour, cast, creed and religion, that symbolises KKF as their only friend and hope.

That is also the main reason why the residence of the Founder and Leader of the MQM, Mr. Altaf Hussain at Azizabad and the Office of the KKF at Block 14, Federal B. Area, Karachi are always thronged by the needy 24 hours a day. The residence of Mr. Altaf Hussain has a reception area where the problems of the needy are seriously listened. At the Office of KKF, its staff processes the applications of the poor and deserving and necessary assistance is immediately provided. The manner in which the KKF helps the people without discrimination is mentioned below: -

1- MONTHLY DISBURSEMENT OF FINANCIAL AID TO THE POOR AND NEEDY

KKF provides financial support on monthly basis to all those students and widows who have no means of financial support. All such deserving widows and students are issued special cards. These poor widows and students by showing their card at the KKF Central Office receive the money apportioned for them every month. The widows are given aid on the basis of the number of household members in their homes. This way Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation is supporting thousands of people. Not only Mohajir families are being aided by the KKF but the list also includes Sindhis, Baloch, Punjabis, Saraikis and Pakhtoons, in fact, people of all the nationalities of the country. Poor students, besides being helped monetarily, are provided their course books, uniforms and fees. In 1996-97, the KKF distributed Rs. 0.5 million amongst the poor students, the widows and other deserving persons.

2- PROVISION OF DOWRIES TO DESTITUTE AND ORPHAN GIRLS FOR THEIR MARRIAGES

The marriage of girls whose parents are from low-income group is a major social and financial problem. In many cases such girls have to face this problem themselves. The KKF provides financial help to such parents for the arrangement of marriages of their daughters. According to KKF’s accounts, during 1996-97 an amount of Rs. 0.32 million were spent on the marriages of orphans and destitute girls.

3- ANNUAL DISTRIBUTION OF AID AMONGST THE DESERVING DURING THE MONTH OF RAMAZAN

KKF besides providing monthly help to poor students and deserving widows and other occasional aid, also arranges the distribution of sewing machines, installation of vegetable and fruit stalls for jobless youths, wheel chairs for the handicapped, tape recorders for the blind and distribution of cash amongst thousands of poor and needy, the dependants of shaheeds (the martyrs), disabled students and widows, during the month of Ramzan. For this annual programme, applications are usually received from the first till the 15th or 20th of Ramazan. Each application is processed and investigated and each applicant is allotted aid according to his or her need.

This annual aid programme is generally held in the last week of Ramazan. Aid is distributed irrespective of the colour, cast, creed, language or religion, to the poor and needy. And special care is taken to ensure that the aid is given only to the deserving. Around five thousand persons receive aid through this programme every year. We try to ensure that poor and needy families are also able to celebrate Eid. These annual aid programmes are not only organised in Karachi, Hyderabad and the other cities of Sindh but also in Punjab, the NWFP and Balochistan. Thus the aid programmes of KKF have now been spreading throughout the country. Besides this annual aid programme and monthly distribution of aid, the MQM’s Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation provides help in a variety of ways throughout the year to deserving people.

4- FREE MEDICAL TREATMENT AND PROVISION OF MEDICINES TO THE POOR

The MQM’s Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation provides free medical care to the poor and needy besides providing free medicines to them. For these medical facilities the MQM has established a separate department known as the “Medical Aid Committee”. It provides medical care and treatment and other facilities to the poor. The MQM’s Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation has also created an “Emergency Centre”, spreading in an area of three acres in Federal ‘B’ Area Block 14, District Central, where experienced staff remains on active duty to serve 24 hours a day. In this building, there are different departments to handle the medical needs of the people. At present, there is a dispensary operating in the Emergency centre, which provides free medical care and medicines to the deserving. Besides these services, every year on the ‘Polio Day’, the KKF provide vaccination for prevention from Polio to the children and for this purpose, special arrangements are made at the medical dispensary.

5- AMBULANCE AND COFFIN CARRIER SERVICE

KKF’s largest Ambulance and Coffin Carrier Service Centre (ACCSC) is situated at the KKF Emergency Centre in Federal ‘B’ Area where four coffin carrier buses and 19 ambulances are equipped with oxygen facilities and all other medical emergency equipment. The Emergency Centre staff comprises of 70 people. The KKF ambulances arrive promptly on intimation of a traffic accident or emergency; regardless of where it occurred. Ambulances proceed to the nearest hospital promptly with the casualties in order to save precious lives. In view of the increasing accidents in Karachi, the KKF has established another ambulance centre at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital with a fleet of four ambulances, available round the clock.

INTRODUCTION

The Holy Prophet PBUH said, “the greatest prayer of all is to serve humanity”. From this hadith we come to realise that aiding poverty stricken and needy people is in itself a prayer. As it is, well to do should assist the needy in their individual capacity. However, political and religious parties and social organisations ought to perform their due share in this service to humanity. Any political movement, which renders service to humanity, is no less than a prayer itself. Unfortunately, in our country, political and religious organisations have divested themselves of this responsibility, assuming it to be the prerogative of social organisations. Political and religious organisations have constantly claimed that when they come to power they will take necessary steps to eradicate the ills of poverty, destitution, hunger and illiteracy. They believe that service to humanity cannot be accomplished without controlling the reigns of power. The MQM (Muttahida Quami Movement), however, in Pakistan is the only organisation, which has proved that even without being in power it has nevertheless managed to achieve and set considerable examples of service to humanity. This is only possible when one is honest and sincere and works with a commitment to the cause. MQM’s example of such commitment is a torchbearer for others to follow.

MQM’s ideological and philosophical approach encompasses the concept of service to humanity without any prejudice or discrimination. The Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF) comes under the jurisdiction of the MQM. It is a highly organised, active and effective social organisation. Its services are spread over a very wide spectrum which does not only include Karachi, Hyderabad and other urban areas of Sindh, but today, the KKF is known throughout the country for its social services. The Founder and Leader of the MQM, Mr. Altaf Hussain and his colleagues have served the destitute and the needy long before the MQM came into existence. The All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation (APMSO) gave birth to the Mohajir Quami Movement (MQM) on 18th March 1984, whereas the APMSO itself was formed on 11th June 1978. Through their intense commitment to serve the poor students and destitute people, Mr Altaf Hussain and his colleagues formed the KKC (Khidmat-e-Khalq Committee) in 1978. (The KKC was transformed into KKF, i.e.- Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation in January 1998) Mr. Altaf Hussain and his associates contributed all their pocket money and whatever remuneration they received by giving tuition, to the KKC fund. From this money and the donations received from students, other less fortunate students were helped. Course books and cash for admission and examination fees were distributed.

In 1979 and 1982 when exodus of stranded Pakistanis from Bangladesh began in Karachi, it was the MQM’s KKF, which distributed food and clothing amongst those dispossessed families. Through the mobile KKF camps in Majid Colony, Landhi, these families received 320 kg of rice, 80 kg of wheat flour, 80 kg of lentils, a hundred boxes of tea, two thousand pieces of stitched clothing, 40 dozen cakes of soap, medicines and a variety of other household utensils. On their arrival in their homeland, the stranded Pakistanis were provided meals twice, as no such arrangements were made by any other organisation or the then Government. Under the supervision of KKF, a similar aid camp was established at West Wharf, Karachi, where the arrangements for medical facilities were organised and goods worth Rs. 17,440 were distributed.

In the early 1980′s the KKF actively participated in providing aid in various localities, along with educational institutions. In the city’s numerous localities various, programmes were organised, at different times, where sewing machines for poor widows, mattresses, quilts, clothing and cash amount were distributed and poor students received course books and cash amount to pay their fees.

In 1984, Mr Altaf Hussain formed the MQM. As the MQM gained popularity with the public, the activities of KKF kept on increasing and soon it became the centre of hope for the destitute and needy. Among the patrons of the MQM, no one including Mr. Altaf Hussain belonged to either the feudal or industrialist class. Each of them represents the lower and middle educated class of the society. The paucity of funds, however, did not dampen the zeal of the MQM leadership and its members. To create a spirit of service amongst the people, they campaigned in various ways to generate funds. By receiving donations they put into motion the process of helping the poor and destitute, which is being continued in a most organised and effective manner.