No place for Ebad in MQM

Party’s factions deny his involvement in their groups

KARACHI: The reported end to the 14-year-long governorship of Ishratul Ebad comes at a time when he seems to have lost his old and new friends from both the party he is affiliated with and the establishment he was said to have been backed by.

Once seen as a pivotal figure of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in maintaining the party ties with the federal government, be it the Pakistan Peoples Party or that of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz, Ebad has benefitted his benefactors greatly. However, the time no longer suits him. Perhaps, he has completed the work he was directed to do and his services are no longer required.



The MQM, when not divided in three factions i.e. Pakistan, London and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP), had asked Ebad to resign in May, 2015, nearly three months after the Rangers raided party headquarters Nine Zero. The reason given for this decision by the party was cited to be the gradual change in behaviour of the governor towards the party he belonged to.

A source in MQM-Pakistan, the group led by Farooq Sattar, told The Express Tribune that since the minus-Altaf formula was being projected by the people on the policy-making desk in the centre, Ebad eyed the post of 'Quaid-e-Tehreek', vernacular for the supreme leader's seat in the party. The move was, however, thwarted.



The source confirmed that in the follow-up of the August 23 split in the party, Ebad through different channels tried to get the Sattar-led group on board under his leadership but this did not work out.

He believes that the reported removal is being done because there have been some changes in the policy due to a clash of interests between two important security institutions.

MQM-Pakistan spokesperson Aminul Haq, however, said that there had never been official contact between the governor and the party leadership. He opined that regardless of the reason why Ebad is being removed, the federal government should have taken the party into confidence over the appointment of his successor.

Haq ruled out any possibility of Ebad joining MQM-Pakistan. "There are zero chances for that. Even the law doesn't allow a state official to take part in politics during the first two years of his retirement or resignation," he clarified.



PSP leader Waseem Aftab said that though his party chief, former mayor Mustafa Kamal, had leveled allegations against Ebad for his involvement in corruption and facilitating terrorism recently, the party did not know if this was the reason for the major change. "We got to know about this development through the media only."

Aftab added that they would wait and see if the federal and provincial governments also initiate investigations into their chief's allegations. "We are ready to present the evidence with us, if asked."

MQM-London was also asked for their version on the issue, and if Ebad had been in contact with them and was willing to join the party, but they did not reply until the filing of this story.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2016.