Qaim Ali Shah on his way out?

Tuesdays are reserved for private initiatives in lawmaking by our representatives. Over the years, however, they have developed a habit of squandering this day by discussing mostly irrelevant issues. It was no different this Tuesday. So, most of my younger colleagues in the press gallery were as usual looking outside of the House for news but it was a hot rumour that they got hold of.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah is being rumoured to be on his way out. Taking Shah Sahib’s exit almost for granted, the reporters for breaking news channels were desperate to find out the name of the person being considered to fill the vacancy. Agha Siraj Durrani had emerged as the most favorite by the time I left the press gallery. However, and let me disappoint my youthful reporters by claiming that Shah sahib is not leaving his office, at least for another six weeks.

None other than Pir Sahib of Pagaro triggered the rumour of Qaim Ali Shah’s departure by issuing a sarcastic statement against his conduct two days ago. The day after, Pir Sahib received Dr Zulfikar Mirza, who had gone to his home with four sitting members of the provincial assembly. At least one of these four MPAs later announced that a growing group of “PPP dissidents” would do everything to block the restoration of local governments, in form and shape the MQM enforced upon the Musharraf-led façade of a government by elected civilians.

Soon TV networks began running tickers on their screens. They claimed that PPP dissidents’ number had swelled to 18 and more were anxious to join them. The would-be-dissidents were also reported to have assembled at Syed Khurshid Shah’s residence in Karachi, where Zulfikar Ali Mirza was also present. The first sizzling ticker, breaking the hot news of a grand meeting at Khurshid Shah’s home, was put on air at around 10:45 Monday night. Funnily, the presumed ‘host’ of excitedly reported get-together, Khurshid Shah, was sitting with Asif Ali Zardari at presidency in Islamabad, precisely at the time he was believed to be dinning with dissidents. “Who is sitting with me, if you have invited Mirza and other troublemakers at your house in Karachi?” Zardari had asked jokingly after noticing the ticker on TV screen before him and both had a hearty laugh at media-stirred excitement.

There is no doubt that more than 30 PPP members of the Sindh Assembly were present at Khurshid Shah’s family home in Karachi Monday night. But they were there to attend a regular dinner that a group of close friends hosts everyday in turn. Monday was the turn of Khurshid Shah’s brother and that’s about it. Dr Mirza also came there for old time’s sake.

Zardari is reported to be seriously suspecting that compulsive conspiratorial quarters of the deep state were exploiting the dramatic exit of Mirza from the PPP to bring back the historic urban-rural divide in Sindh. He apprehends that revival of the said divide could be bloodier and chaotic this time around and he must work overtime to prevent that. To ensure a semblance of stable relationship with the MQM, he needs some win-win solution to the thorny issue of local governments. Khurshid Shah has been asked to get that agreement through protracted negotiations. Until the desired deal is done , Qaim Ali Shah is going nowhere and if and when he has to go, do not bet on Siraj Durrani; his meetings with Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in Lahore notwithstanding. My hunch is Murad Ali Shah of Sehwan would prove to be the dark horse. 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2011.