A piece of the pie: PML-F refuses to give up ‘MQM’ ministries

Meetings with Pir Pagara today to decide plan of action.

KARACHI:

Sindh’s coalition has come under pressure once again with one of its allies refusing to relinquish their ministries for redistribution to the MQM ministers, who have just returned to the fold after three months.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) wants its 14 ministers back in office. Five of them have been returned so far. The problem remains with nine departments which were given to the Pakistan Muslim League-Q and PML-Functional when the MQM left in June.

The PML-F has eight members in the Sindh Assembly and four ministries: Auqaf, IT, youth affairs and mines and minerals. Three out of four departments were earlier with the MQM. But soon after MQM left the government over the Kashmir elections, the government re-allotted the portfolios.

“The MQM wants to get back all its departments and we have assured them [it will happen],” said a source privy to the development, while quoting the chief minister. The PML-F and PML-Q were asked to hand over their ministries with the promise that they would get control of other departments, he said.

But the plan ran into trouble when the PML-F leaders baulked at the move during a meeting with Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Friday. They felt that they had worked hard and wanted to continue. “The government made an alliance with us by offering these portfolios, but now the government has different excuses,” said Minister for Information Technology Imtiaz Shaikh of the PML-F. “We want to make it clear that PML-F leaders aren’t kurbani ke bakray [sacrificial goats].”

They suggested the government allot other departments to the MQM. When the CM pressed them to reconsider, they said they would take the matter to their leader. Party chief Pir Pagara has convened a meeting today (Saturday).

PML-F leader has said that his party no reservations over the MQM’s decision to rejoin the government, but the ruling party (the Pakistan Peoples Party) had to give it due share. “We are one of the coalition partners and are free to make our own decision if the government underestimates us,” he told the media at his residence on Friday.

“Zil Hajj is the month of rendering sacrifices. It is approaching fast. The PPP should think of rendering sacrifices by minimising its share in the Sindh cabinet,” he remarked.

PML-Q’s share

The PML-Q has sports, rural development and environment, given to Haleem Adil Shaikh, Aijaz Shah Sheerazi and Shaharyar Mahar. Talking to The Express Tribune, Shaikh said that no one had contacted them to hand over their ministries to the MQM members. “If the government asks us, we will consult our leadership,” he said.

The Sindh cabinet has 83 bargaining chips, including the posts for advisers, special assistants and ministers, which can be divided among the ruling party and its coalition partners. If it  wants, the government can also bifurcate some departments in order to “appease” coalition partners. For example, health and education could be split into four departments.

MQM currently has taken back:

Health

Bureau of Supply & Prices Control

Industries

Human Rights

Public health and Engineering

MQM wants:

Sports (with PML-Q)

Environment (with PML-Q)

Rural Development (with PML-Q)

Auqaf (with PML-F)

Youth Affairs (with PML-F)

IT (with PML-F)

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2011.