AJK election fallout: MQM ministers tender resignations

MQM ministers of federal, provincial cabinets formally resign from their posts.



KARACHI:


Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) ministers resigned from the federal and provincial cabinets on Tuesday.

Federal ministers Dr Farooq Sattar, Babar Khan Ghouri and minister of state Dr Nadeem Ihsan sent in their resignations to President Asif Ali Zardari.

MQM ministers of the Sindh cabinet also resigned from their posts. MQM leader Raza Haroon said all ministers had stopped working after yesterday’s announcement and they were formally resigning from the cabinet.

Earlier, Governor Sindh Ishratul Ebad had also resigned from his post.

Offices of the MQM provincial ministers were also found abandoned today. Fourteen ministers of the MQM were serving in the Sindh cabinet. Their portfolios included health, youth affairs, rural development, industry and trade, environment and sports.

Updated from print version (below)

AJK election fallout: MQM quits coalition – again

A day after declaring the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led government ‘autocratic’ and its actions ‘dictatorial’, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) pulled out of the coalition governments at the centre as well as in Sindh while Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad Khan, who belongs to the MQM, also resigned in line with his party’s decision.


MQM deputy convener Dr Farooq Sattar made the announcement at a press conference in Karachi on Monday.

“The dictatorial and unconstitutional steps by the PPP government have compelled the MQM to part ways and sit on the opposition benches in the centre and Sindh,” he said.

It is “impossible to continue with a government that has no qualms about taking oppressive and dictatorial actions against its own allied party,” he said, adding  that despite the PPP repeatedly breaking promises, the MQM “kept working with them for the sake of democracy.”

Relinquishing a seat

Differences between the PPP and the MQM emerged after the postponement of Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections for three seats representing the Kashmiri Diaspora in Karachi and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Sattar said the PPP had repeatedly pressured the MQM to give up one seat from Karachi in PPP’s favour.  “We were told in unequivocal terms that if the MQM did not withdraw its candidate, elections in Karachi would be postponed,” he added.

He also alleged that Interior Minister Rehman Malik was constantly in touch with the MQM leadership, and kept pressuring them to relinquish the seat.

The MQM had earlier boycotted the elections, blaming the Sindh government for the postponement, even though the announcement came from the AJK Election Commission, which said that the law and order situation in Karachi was not conducive to holding an election.

The MQM leader also blamed the government for not protecting its workers and leaders, stating that more than 300 MQM workers had been killed under the present government.

Governor’s resignation

Governor Ishratul Ebad Khan has tendered his resignation to President Asif Ali Zardari, confirmed presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar.

Ebad has been the youngest and longest-serving governor of the province and while the MQM has already quit the government once earlier this year, this is the first time that the governor has also stepped down.

Babar, in a statement from the presidency, said that the president was in the UK and was informed about Ebad’s resignation. He added that Ebad should review his decision.

Talking to the media at the airport, Ebad said that he was going to London on a private visit and could not say when he would return. “I became governor on the orders of my leadership and have decided to resign on their directives,” he said.

Official sources, however, said that the governor has left for London to meet with his party leadership.

Petition filed in court

The MQM, meanwhile, filed a petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday against the alleged government interference in and the postponement of elections for the AJK Legislative Assembly seats in Karachi.

The petition will be heard by a division bench of SHC on Tuesday. It was filed by Muhammad Saleem Butt and Muhammad Tahir Khokhar, incumbent members of the AJK Legislative Assembly belonging to the MQM. Butt and Khokhar are also ticket holders of the party for two general seats LA30 and LA36 from Karachi.

The federal and Sindh government, along with the IG Sindh, have been made parties in the petition and the MQM has requested an urgent hearing of the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2011.

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COMMENTS (92)

Siraj Ahsan | 12 years ago | Reply @Raheela koser: So you think their demand is not right? Hmm... 1) Call for CJP to intervene... Ok.. asking for elections on two seats is not asking for handover of two seats. You by yourself accepted atleast one seat they would have won so dont you think they are right in demanding. Secondly a point you missed is that the universal right of choice was obviously ignored by our democratic setup with no one shouting foul so if they did you think it is wrong to demand the right of choice? 2) You think this issue doesnt warrant a suo motto notice? Ok! Does Atiqa Odoho's two liqour bottles warrant a suo motto notice? 3) Lets consider MQM guilty party in 12th May massacre others were all innocent in the game? If you call spade a spade then we all know what PPP and ANP activist did on that day. I call for an inquiry but since I am from Karachi lets start looking at all killings either by secuirty forces and others. Also look at root causes which you have conveniently forgotten, 4) Please tell what is MQM upto I fail to see because my eyes are blinded by the successful 4 years stint by their local government, their vocieforus stand against Talibans, incorrect implementation of blasphemy and hudood law and their utmost to ensure Karachi gets its share in a situation where they know urban Sindh will never get a government representation. 5) Extortion... I am certain they do it... Killing yup that two but they are not the only one... please open a factory in an industrial area of Karachi and you will be pleasantly surprised how many extortionists you will find outside your door from a labour officer to your innocent brethrens from Afghanistan with a gun and no mercy on killing and yes.. your mullahs too, Madam... on boycotting... Now I assure you I will vote for MQM because when you and other educated people suffer from such serious tunnel vision then there obviously has to be some sense. You live in a messed up system and the products in the messed up system will be messed up. You have to choose in these messed up system. i am a middle class person since I grew up I have known a middle class person win an election from our locality and they still do so. I will never vote for a mullah, a wadera or jihadi or closet jihadi. My choice will be MQM and 100s may disagree but I will tell you... You will not be able to dislodge MQM because they still have their roots in people.
Dr. Saleem Siddiqi | 12 years ago | Reply @Raheela koser It is everybody's right to comment good or bad. But how you want to implement your own views on the majority of people. For your information, Karachi and other urban areas of Pakistan have maximum literacy rate. By having Education one knows what is good and what is bad. Those days are gone when leaders used to bring mass public into their Julsaas to prove that they have large support of (fake) people supporting them. MQM does not believe on such things. Their manifesto is clear and they bring their leadership from poor and middle class people. Therefore people like you dont like this change and always are in opposition for such honest parties. Mere allegations and filth will not work as conciece people love MQM and their work which they have performed especially in Karachi and the relief work for Kashmiri brothers. You will see a great number seats shall inshallah be won by MQM because of their frank and sincerety. Above all they have raised their voice for the people for cost of living and other vital issues. You will never find such honesty in PPP and PML-N who are just for themselves and seats or making money. Regards Dr. Saleem Siddiqi Johannesburg - South Africa
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