On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Chief Minister denied that Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wasan was removed. Speculations resulting from the minister’s request for leave have led sources to claim that there was a possibility of an administrative shake-up — from the highest levels down to the police SHOs.
“Wassan has gone on a medical leave and will resume his job soon,” said the spokesperson. “He has not been removed and there will not be any reshuffling.”
However, sources said that it was after President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his concern over the law and order situation in Karachi during meetings and briefings on Monday and Tuesday, that Wassan asked the chief minister for a month’s leave for medical reasons. The president was seriously concerned over the situation. When briefed about the police, he claimed that their performance had been very poor. He was also told that they had become extremely politicised. The adviser to the Sindh Home Minister, Sharfuddin Memon, confirmed that Wassan had been given permission by President Zardari to go on leave. “Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah will be taking care of things while the home minister is away,” said Memon.
The law-and-order situation in Karachi has deteriorated over the past few months and the home department has admitted as much. But the officials say that the home minister’s request is purely a personal decision and not linked with the meetings on the law and order situation in the city. Wassan is the second home minister to have served in Sindh during the current government’s tenure. When his predecessor Zulfiqar Mirza went on leave, his portfolio was managed by the chief minister.
Sources in the police said that there was a possibility that the Inspector General Sindh Mushtaq Shah could become a casualty if an administrative shakeup did take place and then the Additional Inspector General Akhtar Hussain Gorchani could become IG Sindh by default. However, no official summary was sent to the capital regarding any change in the Sindh police department as yet.
Wassan, who was in Hyderabad on Wednesday, contradicted the speculations about the change of face in the home ministry and claimed that he would resume the charge on his return from the United Kingdom. But betraying the certainty in his assertion, he said, “I will accept any other responsibility that the party gives me. I am not stubborn.”
He was talking to the media at the residence of the late Sindhi singer Master Manzoor after offering condolences to the family. Like his predecessor, Zulfiqar Mirza, Wassan’s nine-month long stint is still to control that spiral.
Also like Mirza, he is going on leave at a time when the law and order has plunged to the level which existed before the suo motu notice taken by the Supreme Court last year.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2012.
COMMENTS (7)
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@ VoK
Although this article has nothing to do with Sindhi or non-Sindhi MPA's, Vok's ignorant comment requires a response. I think Mr. Tunio's point was that these useless Sindhi ministers such as Qaim Ali Shah and Manzoor Wasan are posted for one reason only, to appease the minority mohajir community of Sindh. The same can be said of criminal governor of Sindh. You cannot take it when Sindhis speak for their own rights; you want us to accept the status quo and be slaves in our own homeland. But you are the one who needs to change, because it was your people who left your homeland. Now if you are in Sindh, then be a true Sindhi and don't call yourself mohajir.
You stated: “Chance” based on what? what is so special about Sindhis that they should be given another “Chance”?
Chance based on the illegal usurpation of high level federal and provincial jobs and discrimination against Sindhis since partition. If you just look at the percentage of Sindhis in high level federal jobs, you will see a problem. Don't tell me Zardari is president and I should be happy. He has done nothing for Sindhis. Obama is president of USA and still blacks are in the worst condition. And you talk about merit? First there should be schools for students to display merit. How many Sindhis are allowed in Karachi university? What is so special about Sindhis is that we took all the burden of partition by accepting the refugees, so we deserve representation in all spheres of government, society, and economic divisions of Pakistan in proportion to our real population (not the lies in the census). Why is a Punjabi retired officer at the helm of all Sindh's major industries, such as Pakistan Steel?
Sindhis are awake now and cannot be fooled by your useless rhetoric. You better wake up too or get rudely awakened!
@Dr. Doolittle: yaar that is exactly my sentiment. Everyone should get what they deserve based on merit, not on quota.
I am sure Mr Wassan did not see this coming, through the famous dreams that he swears by! Possible cause... complete loss of sleep.
@VoK Everyody needs a chance and the chance should be equally distributed. In case of Pakistani democracy. it is the chance to earning back (illegally though), the money that was spent on elections.
@ali jan tunio:
sindhi MPAs they should be given chance
This is the mentality that the educated people are fighting against. "Chance" based on what? what is so special about Sindhis that they should be given another "Chance"? Work hard for what you want. Achieve it based on MERIT. Ever heard that word?
he was nonsense person,better he should leave,there are many competent sindhi MPAs they should be given chance,appeasement of 19percent muhajirs in sindh must stop,
For democracy to function, the constituents have to be literate and informed. Both these commodities seems to be lacking, creating confusion about what is happening in Karachi. The public in Pakistan is just at their wit's end about Karachi's situation. The simplistic explanation has been to pin the blame on a single party or the other. It's a failure of the Government to excercise writ of law and nothing else. The Interior Ministers or the Chief Ministers are just not in the position to control the law and order in Sindh because of their own party's constraints or someone else's. The previous Interior Minister made an open and public statement that he hired 10,000 police officer and "not one belongs to" the other party. Imagine the brazen bragadacio that this man was making the statement with Quran on his head and on live telecast. How is the Government going to control the situation under such political partisanship????? A just and honest administrative dispensation will be able to clean up Karachi in no time. The Chief Justice laid it out completely in August last year. Trust me, it is no rocket science.