Pro-Government Militias
MQM Haqiqi (Pakistan)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 184 |
| Country: | Pakistan |
| Date formed: | June 1, 1992 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | month |
| Details of Formation: | Afaq Ahmad and Amir Khan, two high-ranking members of MQM, together with four other members of the provincial assembly formed the breakaway faction MQM Haqiqi and took over the MQM headquarters In 1992 after Pakistani military operation against the group. The Pakistani army supported the MQM Haqiqi and was involved in strengthening the newly emerged group. |
| Date dissolved: | Nov. 1, 1994 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | month |
| Details of Termination: | In November 1994, the Haqiqis lost official patronage from the Bhutto government. However, the MQM Haqiqis could not be effectively be ended. They continued to enjoy support from an intelligence agency, which tried to sabotage the Bhutto government. When they lost support by the intelligence agency, the MQM Haqiqis aligned with the Sunni extremist group Soldiers of the Companions of the Prophet. Subsequently, the MQM Haqiqis carried out attacks against Shia civilians and their mosques. Meanwhile, in 1995, the Bhutto government tried to crack down on the MQM Haqiqis using heavily armed police units. |
| Termination Type(s): | government defects |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | yes |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | 832 |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | unclear | Main Creating Government Institution: | military |
| Government Link(s): | military (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; military; crime |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; ideology; criminals |
| Primary Membership: | ethnic |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Karachi |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, 500] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; ethnic group; religious group |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious institutions; intimidate political opposition |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | Mohajirs (Pakistan) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | given |
| Ethnic Membership: | Mohajirs (Pakistan) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | given |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The main antagonist the MQM Haqiqi fought against was the MQM party, which officially advocated for the rights of the Urdu-speaking Muslim immigrants coming from India to Pakistan after the 1947 partition. The MQM correspond to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which had also been a PGM. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The main purpose of the MQM Haqiqi was to divide Bhutto’s, and earlier Nawaz Sharif’s, opponents, the MQM party. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The MQM Haqiqi had been given carte blanche for murder, including for their extortion schemes against Karachi’s businessmen. They also extorted schools. It is not clear if the extortions and related murders took place when the MQM Haqiqi was still a PGM or only afterwards. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | unknown |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | News sources dated March 1995, after the MQM Haqiqi had already become anti-government, mention a PGM size of 500 members. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The army trained and armed the MQM Haqiqi. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The MQM Haqiqi was linked to the army; later, it was handed over to six intelligence agencies under the civilian government. The MQM Haqiqi was led by Afaq Ahmad and Amir Khan who had been high-ranking members of the MQM. Gradually, the government became unable to control MQM Haqiqi. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.