Election fallout: MQM ministers submit their resignations

PML-N joins call for fresh elections to AJK Legislative Assembly.

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD:

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s ministers formally submitted their resignations from the federal and Sindh cabinets on Tuesday, as the party was joined by the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz in demanding a new election in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

In separate press conferences held on Tuesday, both the MQM and PML-N criticised the government for its handling of the elections to the AJK Legislative Assembly – albeit for slightly differing reasons.

While both accused the PPP of abusing its influence as the party in office in the federal government, the MQM’s concerns had to do primarily with the postponement of the elections for the seats representing the Kashmiri diaspora in Karachi, whereas the PML-N seemed to take issue with the electoral rolls and alleged vote fraud. The MQM won those two Karachi seats in 2006 and was expected to win again.

“The PPP used fake ballot papers to get the desired results in the AJK general elections,” alleged PML-N leader Saddiqul Farooq. “This exercise has damaged the two Kashmirs’ cause of self-determination.”

The party does not appear to have made a decision as to its future course of action yet. “We have decided to chalk out a new strategy for holding fresh elections for the Legislative Assembly of AJK,” said former AJK prime minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan of the PML-N in a press conference. “A final decision about the demand for fresh elections will be taken by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif tomorrow (Thursday),” said Siddiqul Farooq.

Meanwhile the MQM appears incensed over what they see as a repeated betrayal on the part of the PPP, which had been a coalition ally until MQM leader Altaf Hussain on Monday called for his party to resign their positions in the government and join the opposition benches at both the Sindh and federal levels.

A 14-member delegation of MQM members of the Sindh cabinet formally visited the Sindh governor’s mansion in Karachi on Saturday to submit their resignations to Acting Governor Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, who took office after the MQM’s Ishratul Ebad Khan resigned from that position on Monday.

While the MQM has left the coalition with the PPP many times before, only to return later, this is the first time that Governor Ebad has resigned. As if to underline the finality of their resignations, Ebad left ‘indefinitely’ for London and MQM ministers vacated their offices, taking home their personal belongings and saying “We will not be back.”

Sources familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune that the PPP leadership is actively pursuing a reconciliation with the MQM, though they allege that the real reason for the MQM’s departure from the ruling coalition was not the AJK elections but rather the PPP’s insistence on bringing former Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza of the PPP, the MQM’s bugbear, back to the Sindh government.

“This postponement of the election is just a drama. The PPP was strengthening its bargaining position by postponing the election and demanding one seat from MQM as an opening bid in order to get the MQM to accommodate Mirza,” sources said.

Meanwhile, sources say that Ebad’s resignation as governor may have more to do with internal dissent within the MQM. Sources say that many MQM members were not happy with Ebad as Sindh governor and wanted another nominee. This latest spat with the PPP provided them with an excuse to show Ebad the door.

“There is a chance that, after a successful reconciliation between the PPP and the MQM, another candidate from the MQM might be appointed governor of the province,” said sources familiar with the situation, adding that the final decision would be taken together by President Asif Ali Zardari and MQM leader Altaf Hussain.







Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2011.