Ishratul Ebad ends week long hiatus, returns to Governor's office

Sind Governor retracts resignation letter after being urged to do so by Altaf Hussain, Asif Ali Zardari.

KARACHI: Following talks with his party chief yesterday, Governor Sindh Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan returned to Karachi on Thursday to resume charge of his office.

Ebad had taken up perch in Dubai for the past week but not before handing in his resignation to his party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). The MQM had last week quit the ruling coalition in the national and Sindh assemblies, soon after which the Sindh Assembly repealed Sindh Peoples Local Government Act 2012 and the revived old local government system of 1979, widening a rift between the MQM and ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and prompting Ebad to tender his resigantion.

During his five day stay in Dubai, the governor reportedly held meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari. The latter had urged him to return and rejoin his office. Rehman Malik too had couriered messages from the President and other high ranking government officials and politicians.

Meanwhile MQM in a statement said that Altaf Hussain had directed Dr Ebad to withdraw the resignation and rejoin the office given his popular demand in Sindh for peace and stability.