Another one bites the dust: I did not resign under pressure, says Sharjeel

Sharmila Faruqi a possible contender for the vacant post of information minister or adviser.

KARACHI: Sharjeel Memon has become another casualty from Sindh’s cabinet for aligning himself with the forces opposed to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). But he says he did not resign as information minister under any pressure and instead volunteered.

“I was neither under any pressure nor did anybody ask me to resign. I offered myself to step down if my London visit has caused any embarrassment to my party,” he told reporters at the Karachi airport on Saturday after his arrival from Islamabad.

His resignation has, however, sent ripples through the rank and file of the Pakistan People’s Party in Sindh as many of its MPAs were privately expressing their concern about future elections. A sizeable group of MPAs had already assured Dr Zulfiqar Mirza of their support and vowed to oppose any changes in local body system.

Memon who resigned after being asked to do so by President Asif Ali Zardari during a short meeting on Friday, once again clarified that his London visit had nothing to do with Mirza. He was summoned by the Presidency on Friday to explain his position after the MQM objected however. He tendered his resignation after meeting President Asif Zardari.

Sources close to Sharjeel Memon said that he had gone to London after he was granted 10 days of leave abroad by the President. Since he travelled to London with Zulfiqar Mirza on the same plane, the MQM threatened once again to part ways with the PPP unless Sharjeel Memon was sacked. President Zardari is reported to have assured the MQM that he would remove Memon from the ministerial slot.

An official at Chief Minister house confirmed that Memon’s resignation has been received. But, since Qaim Ali Shah was in Khairpur, a summary of his resignation is likely to be forwarded to the governor either on Monday or Tuesday.

Sharjeel Memon, who returned his official cars on Saturday, was cautious in his reaction while talking to the media. “My position as minister and my membership of the Sindh Assembly is only because of the PPP and the party is authorised to take it back. The PPP is my identity and I will always remain loyal to it,” he said, adding that Zulfiqar Mirza was his personal friend and would always be.

He also confirmed that he cut short his visit to London after he received a phone call from Chief Minister House that Shah wanted him to return.

He refused to apologise to the MQM, saying that, “the MQM is a coalition partner of my party, therefore removing its concern is justified, but I will not apologise to it. I am a member of the PPP and not of the coalition partner. I will not apologise to it,” he said.

Meanwhile, there were reports about a race going on for his successor. Sources privy to the PPP and CM House conceded that Sharmila Faruqi was a favourite.

(with additional input from PPI)

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2011.