Local bodies system: Pro-Mirza dissenters win PPP assurance
Parliamentary party told to stamp out impression of forward bloc.
KARACHI:
Strong dissent within the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party has forced its provincial leadership to pledge that it will retract a controversial step meant to appease coalition partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement.
In a move that could have massive political fallout in the province and the centre, party leaders of PPP Sindh have assured dissenting colleagues that the controversial local government system of 2001 would not be reinstated and that the 1979 system would be retained.
The 2001 system was initially abolished, but then brought back for Karachi and Hyderabad through an ordinance aimed at appeasing the MQM and bringing them back in the coalition fold. The ordinance still has to be approved by the Sindh Assembly before it lapses on November 6.
(Read: Let’s do it commissionery style)
The assurance came at a PPP parliamentary party meeting held at the Chief Minister House late Friday night, which was co-chaired by PPP parliamentary leader Pir Mazhar ul Haq and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah. On the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari, Federal Minister Khursheed Shah also attended the meeting to play the role of mediator between quarrelling party members.
Sources told The Express Tribune that, as the meeting began, Khursheed Shah announced: “I have come here on the directives of President Zardari. I assure you that no system will be introduced that will be against the wishes of people of Sindh. I request you to please calm down and be patient.”
Sources said that PPP parliamentary leader Pir Mazharul Haq said that President Zardari had also directed them not to introduce any system that may harm the party and its credibility. “You people are creating an impression that there is a forward bloc in the party. We will never ever compromise and bring back a dictator’s system that has been rejected by the assembly,” he was quoted as saying.
During the meeting, sources said, some members of the PPP exchanged hot words – including an argument between Minister for Local Government Agha Siraj Durrani and Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah on the issue of Dr Zulfiqar Mirza. However, Khursheed Shah intervened.
(Read: What’s 2001 minus 1979?: CDGK turns into KMC)
Sources said that the ministers who had been summoned by President Zardari, including Murad Ali Shah and Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, told the meeting that the PPP co-chairman had not instructed any party men to avoid meeting Mirza.
In fact, Khursheed Shah, the president’s new troubleshooter for Sindh, later visited Mirza at his home along with Memon and Murad Ali Shah. A spokesperson for the former home minister said that the visit was personal in nature.
Things had begun to spiral out of control for the PPP’s Sindh chapter – which was divided over support for Mirza. For the last few months, the deeply controversial former home minister has created a stir in the country’s politics by coming out strongly against a key government ally, the MQM, as well as some of his own party members – most notably Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
Mirza has since resigned from his home minister post, his seat in the Sindh Assembly as well as his party position. Though the PPP instantly distanced itself from his remarks in order to ensure that MQM rejoined the coalition government, there was still a great deal of support for Mirza’s stand.
Once there was a move to isolate Mirza by some senior leaders, there was strong dissent – which reached a point where some ministers refused to attend cabinet meetings or even private meetings with the chief minister.
(Read: Nazims vs commissioners: Er... sorry - we had some ‘technical’ difficulties)
In fact, even before Friday night’s meeting at the Chief Minister House, around six dissenting provincial ministers and 18 MPAs went to meet Mirza at his house, where they are reported to have discussed what stance to take on the matter.
“[Initially] these members were not willing to attend the meeting, but Khursheed Shah repeatedly called them to attend the meeting,” sources said.
A handout issued by the Chief Minister House said that the meeting expressed full confidence in the leadership of President Zardari and the Sindh chief minister.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 15th, 2011.
Strong dissent within the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party has forced its provincial leadership to pledge that it will retract a controversial step meant to appease coalition partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement.
In a move that could have massive political fallout in the province and the centre, party leaders of PPP Sindh have assured dissenting colleagues that the controversial local government system of 2001 would not be reinstated and that the 1979 system would be retained.
The 2001 system was initially abolished, but then brought back for Karachi and Hyderabad through an ordinance aimed at appeasing the MQM and bringing them back in the coalition fold. The ordinance still has to be approved by the Sindh Assembly before it lapses on November 6.
(Read: Let’s do it commissionery style)
The assurance came at a PPP parliamentary party meeting held at the Chief Minister House late Friday night, which was co-chaired by PPP parliamentary leader Pir Mazhar ul Haq and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah. On the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari, Federal Minister Khursheed Shah also attended the meeting to play the role of mediator between quarrelling party members.
Sources told The Express Tribune that, as the meeting began, Khursheed Shah announced: “I have come here on the directives of President Zardari. I assure you that no system will be introduced that will be against the wishes of people of Sindh. I request you to please calm down and be patient.”
Sources said that PPP parliamentary leader Pir Mazharul Haq said that President Zardari had also directed them not to introduce any system that may harm the party and its credibility. “You people are creating an impression that there is a forward bloc in the party. We will never ever compromise and bring back a dictator’s system that has been rejected by the assembly,” he was quoted as saying.
During the meeting, sources said, some members of the PPP exchanged hot words – including an argument between Minister for Local Government Agha Siraj Durrani and Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah on the issue of Dr Zulfiqar Mirza. However, Khursheed Shah intervened.
(Read: What’s 2001 minus 1979?: CDGK turns into KMC)
Sources said that the ministers who had been summoned by President Zardari, including Murad Ali Shah and Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, told the meeting that the PPP co-chairman had not instructed any party men to avoid meeting Mirza.
In fact, Khursheed Shah, the president’s new troubleshooter for Sindh, later visited Mirza at his home along with Memon and Murad Ali Shah. A spokesperson for the former home minister said that the visit was personal in nature.
Things had begun to spiral out of control for the PPP’s Sindh chapter – which was divided over support for Mirza. For the last few months, the deeply controversial former home minister has created a stir in the country’s politics by coming out strongly against a key government ally, the MQM, as well as some of his own party members – most notably Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
Mirza has since resigned from his home minister post, his seat in the Sindh Assembly as well as his party position. Though the PPP instantly distanced itself from his remarks in order to ensure that MQM rejoined the coalition government, there was still a great deal of support for Mirza’s stand.
Once there was a move to isolate Mirza by some senior leaders, there was strong dissent – which reached a point where some ministers refused to attend cabinet meetings or even private meetings with the chief minister.
(Read: Nazims vs commissioners: Er... sorry - we had some ‘technical’ difficulties)
In fact, even before Friday night’s meeting at the Chief Minister House, around six dissenting provincial ministers and 18 MPAs went to meet Mirza at his house, where they are reported to have discussed what stance to take on the matter.
“[Initially] these members were not willing to attend the meeting, but Khursheed Shah repeatedly called them to attend the meeting,” sources said.
A handout issued by the Chief Minister House said that the meeting expressed full confidence in the leadership of President Zardari and the Sindh chief minister.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 15th, 2011.