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 15th, 2011.
COMMENTS (11)
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The first job of a government is to provide law and order. And for a Home Minister there is no other job. Zulfiqar Mirza was home Minister for over three years. What have you done except enjoying the trappings of power? Every person in Karachi has a story of woe. Almost all have been looted at gun point. Where is the police? Why couldn't they stop it? Why couldn't they pre-empt it? Why? Was it not your job?
You recruited 10,000 policeman and you don't hire any from Karachi who happen to speak Urdu - as per your own confession. Were you hiring domestic servants? Why did you flout the rules? Where was merit? Why was employment denied to people of Karachi just because they speak the national language?
You are not exactly clean nor are you efficient nor you have any vision. May be others are the same but God gave you an opportunity to etch your name in gold. But what have you done? Nothing. Just polarised people more. Instead of uniting them on Muslim faith you divided them on ethnic lines by your openly racist statements. Is this your achievement Mr. Zulfiqar Mirza?
Zulfiqar Mirza is playing the role of Kartar Singh in Sindh.
He has no vision.
What can we expect from an immature politician who has put one foot in one boat and another foot in a different boat.
Dr Zulfiqar has won this round !!!
Heard the saying "empty vessels make most noise"?
Action against dr. Mirza has finally started. It will create more gulf between the party leaders.
I support you Dr.
Another crisis in the making, when Speaker National assembly Dr Fahmida Mirza steps aside as she is writing the last paragraph of her resignation. Her resignation will further fuel the political bickering that recently has taken pakistan by surprise since PTI Rally.Lot to observe and learn in the coming days.
Another chance for Imran Khan!
Long Live Zulfiqar Mirza Sheer e Sindh