Has the PPP had enough of controversial Dr Mirza?

Jails Minister sacked, all Badin PPP office bearers recommended by Mirza removed.

KARACHI:

Despite his many fiery speeches and confrontations, it appears that it was Dr Zulfiqar Mirza’s supporters, and not his blatant accusations, which have finally pushed the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), over the edge. The government has decided to take action against Mirza while PPP office bearers appointed in Badin on his recommendations during his time as a senior minister have been removed from their posts.

“I am still a worker of the PPP and all my efforts are for strengthening the party,” Mirza was heard declaring when his supporters in Badin district clashed with those of the PPP.

The rally held on Sunday - officially a pro-Zardari march - morphed into an anti-Mirza protest and a manifestation of the growing rifts within the party. When Mirza and his men showed up to counter the chants, things turned violent and the two parties, once both on the same side under the joint banner of PPP, clashed.

On Monday, the angered PPP supporters of Badin took up their complaint with the CM and demanded that a case be lodged against Mirza. Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, who is PPP’s Sindh president, spent two hours listening to his party workers berate Mirza and finally decided that it was time to take action.

“We have lodged a complaint at the Golarchi police station against Mirza and his companions and want to register a case against them because they have tried to kill our workers by resorting to indiscriminate firing,” said Badin’s PPP MPA Nawaz Chandio.

Chandio claimed that about 5,000 people rallied at Golarchi in support of President Zardari when Mirza’s armed men stormed them. “Not only did these people resort to aerial firing, but Dr Mirza himself arrived and was encouraging the criminals to kill us,” alleged the outraged MPA.

Soon after, the CM ordered that Badin district PPP office bearers appointed on Mirza’s recommendations be suspended and new ones be appointed while policemen appointed on his orders be transferred to other districts. Meanwhile, the CM assured Chandio that action would be taken against anyone involved in violence at the Golarchi rally - including Mirza. This could mean a police FIR being registered against them.

The CM called an emergency PPP Sindh executive council meeting on Monday night in which the suspension orders were made official and new office bearers were appointed.

PPP Badin district President Dr Sikandar Mendhro, Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani, Food Minister Nadir Magsi and Home Minister Manzoor Wassan were among those who attended the meeting.

Oil on troubled waters

Dr Sikander Mendhro, PPP Badin district president said that the scuffle on Sunday was the result of a “misunderstanding” between Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and Golarchi’s PPP leaders. “We will sit and resolve the issue,” he said.

Local Government Minister Agha Sirja Durrani, for his part, finally accepted that things had gone too far. He told the media that he had been “a good friend of Mirza’s, but unfortunately he [Mirza] promotes people who always want to create a rift between PPP leaders”. “We have to make some important decision regarding Dr Mirza, but it will take sometime,” he said.

The price of friendship

Prison Minister Sadiq Memon, said to be close friend of Mirza’s, has had his portfolio taken back by the government. Sadiq Memon was at the forefront of MPAs who supported Mirza on his stance on the local government issue.

Government officials claim that the decision to take back the ministry was made by President Asif Ali Zardari himself during a meeting held at Bilawal House. Law Minister Ayaz Soomro is now in charge of the prison department.

Sadiq Memon has confirmed the news but refused to comment. “My loyalty lies with my party. I will accept whatever decision is made by leadership and cannot comment on it.”

Earlier, Mirza held the prison ministry’s portfolio which was given to Sadiq Memon on August 6.

An engineer by profession, Sadiq Memon belongs to the Thatta district and contested the by-elections after the death of his brother, Jalil Memon, in a road accident.

His brother was the minister for cooperative societies and after his death, the PPP decided to give his seat to Sadiq Memon.

Government officials claim that the move has been a long time coming and anti-Mirza members of the party have been demanding his metaphorical head and that of his friends in the government. “Sadiq Memon is the first victim of friendship and changes within the party can not be ruled out,” said a senior leader of the party.

Suspensions and new appointments

Sacked:

Badin District General Secretary Kamal Chang

Badin Tehsil President Aziz Memon

Matli Tehsil General Secretary Mehbood Shah

Golarchi Teshil General Secretary Asghar Gujjar

Replacements:

Gafoor Nizamani

Sattar Memon

Gul Muhammad

Allah Dino Chandio

Handout issued by CM House

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th,  2011.