A day after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) gave a three-day deadline to the government to address its grievances, President Asif Ali Zardari assigned federal Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain the task to woo the ruling party’s major ally.
Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah also held a meeting with Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad and assured him of addressing the coalition partner’s concerns.
One of MQM’s major demands is to issue a notification regarding the local government ordinance and implement the system without any delay, sources told The Express Tribune.
“MQM is concerned about some PPP leaders who want to delay the LG polls till the upcoming general elections. But MQM is adamant to promptly implement the decision and appoint administrators without any further delays,” said a source privy to the matter.
He added that a recent meeting between President Zardari and Zulfiqar Ali Mirza in Karachi was also fuelling MQM’s distrust. Mirza, who has been sidelined after his fiery outbursts last year, seems to be back in the loop.
“President Zardari is considering giving an important task to Dr Mirza. Mirza has been asked to console PPP workers in Lyari and Malir areas, where the government’s crackdown and bounty call on certain defunct People’s Amn Committee (PAC) leaders created much resentment amongst the locals,” said a senior PPP leader. He added that the ruling party wants to organise a large public gathering in Lyari which will be addressed by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari before he announces his decision to contest the polls from there.
Sources snubbed speculations that Dr Mirza was to be appointed home minister again or given another portfolio in the Sindh Cabinet. But some reports suggested he was being considered for the post of the party’s president in Sindh, which is currently occupied by Qaim Ali Shah.
“The president wants to organise the PPP and Dr Mirza is his best option, but the latter wants the bounty call on PAC leaders to be taken back before the mega event is held in Lyari,” said another source.
PPP’s Information Secretary for Sindh Waqar Mehdi denied the party was considering shifting the responsibility from Shah to Mirza, who resigned as PPP’s vice president last year following controversial statements against the MQM leadership. “People should avoid speculating. We have no idea if Dr Mirza and President Zardari held any meeting in Karachi or anywhere else.”
Sindh’s Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ayaz Soomro said his party would not let the MQM walk out of the alliance. “We will resolve their issues soon.” About the three-day ultimatum given by MQM, Soomro said “it is better to ask Muttahida leaders.”
When contacted, MQM Rabta Committee member Wasim Aftab said they have voiced their reservations on separate occasions, but PPP leaders were only paying “lip service”.
“Our major demand is development of Karachi as well as other towns of Sindh. We want to provide jobs to people. Sindh Governor issued the LG ordinance after a mutual consensus, but the government is yet to issue a notification. We wonder why PPP is using these delaying tactics.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 26th, 2012.
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