New gameplan: MQM not to join PPP in Sindh govt
Ishratul Ebad had resigned from the MQM before becoming governor of Sindh, says Rabita committee statement.
MQM has nominated their senior leader Syed Sardar Ahmed for the post of Sindh Chief Minister. PHOTO: Online
KARACHI:
Refusing the power-sharing offer by the Pakistan People’s Party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement has decided to sit in the opposition in both the National and Sindh assemblies.
The party, which was the PPP’s active coalition partners in Sindh for the past five years and left the government just a few months before its tenure ended, has now officially decided to sit on the opposition benches.
The much-awaited decision was announced by the Rabita Committee through a press statement on Wednesday night.
Wasay Jalil, a member of the new Rabita Committee, while talking to The Express Tribune said that the decision was taken in the light of public interest. “By sitting on the opposition benches, we will be able to serve the people better,” he said, adding the decision was taken after considering both negative and positive aspects.
Another spokesperson of the party, who did not want to be named, said that one of the reasons for the decision was that the MQM had carried the ‘excess baggage of the PPP in the past.’ The spokesperson said that though they were coalition partners of the PPP in the previous government, they had restricted powers and could not initiate much development in the city.
The party said that it would file its candidate for the post of the chief minister, and has nominated their senior leader Syed Sardar Ahmed for the post.
The MQM has also announced that Faisal Subzwari will be the parliamentary leader in the Sindh assembly, while Khawaja Izharul Hassan would be the deputy parliamentary leader. In the National Assembly, Dr Farooq Sattar will be the parliamentary leader while Rasheed Godil would be the deputy parliamentary leader. The Rabita committee statement also said that Ishratul Ebad had resigned from the MQM before becoming governor of Sindh, and that the decision on appointing the new governor would come from the federal government.
Opposition parties to put up a fight for CM slot
With the MQM’s decision to sit on the opposition benches, the other opposition parties are trying to convince its leadership to support their nominees for the chief minister, speaker and deputy speaker. The joint opposition, including PML-N, PML-F and even PTI, has nominated Ifranullah Marwat and Nusrat Seher Abbasi for the slots of speaker and deputy speaker against the PPP candidates Agha Siraj Durrani and Shehla Raza. Meanwhile, the MQM has nominated Khawaja Izharul Hassan as speaker and Heer Ismail Sohu as deputy speaker.
After the session, the PML-N’s Irfanullah Marwat told the media that they would not let the PPP’s candidates sail through without a contest. “Though they have a majority, we are following the parliamentary requirements,” he said, adding that they would also nominate the candidate for the chief minister slot and finalize the name by today (Thursday) morning.
On the other hand, one of the PML F leaders told The Express Tribune that the opposition parties are also trying to woo MQM to nominate a joint candidate against the PPP. “Since the MQM has also announced that they are considering nominating a candidate for the slot of chief minister we are trying to approach them to field a joint candidate,” he said.
“If the MQM agrees then the PML-F will nominate Imtiaz Shaikh for the slot of Chief Minister to contest against Syed Qaim Ali Shah,” he said.
But MQM leader Faisal Subzwari had a different view. “The Party has decided to nominate me as parliamentary leader and we are also holding talks with other opposition parties to support our candidate Syed Sardar Ahmed as leader of the house,” he said. The election for the leader of the house is scheduled at around 6:30PM today and will be held through a secret ballot.
Despite the MQM’s decision of sitting in the opposition, some reports suggest that the party has started bargaining with the PML-N in order to join the federal government; with others saying its decision to sit in the opposition in Sindh is also a way to improve its bargaining position with the PPP.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2013.
Refusing the power-sharing offer by the Pakistan People’s Party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement has decided to sit in the opposition in both the National and Sindh assemblies.
The party, which was the PPP’s active coalition partners in Sindh for the past five years and left the government just a few months before its tenure ended, has now officially decided to sit on the opposition benches.
The much-awaited decision was announced by the Rabita Committee through a press statement on Wednesday night.
Wasay Jalil, a member of the new Rabita Committee, while talking to The Express Tribune said that the decision was taken in the light of public interest. “By sitting on the opposition benches, we will be able to serve the people better,” he said, adding the decision was taken after considering both negative and positive aspects.
Another spokesperson of the party, who did not want to be named, said that one of the reasons for the decision was that the MQM had carried the ‘excess baggage of the PPP in the past.’ The spokesperson said that though they were coalition partners of the PPP in the previous government, they had restricted powers and could not initiate much development in the city.
The party said that it would file its candidate for the post of the chief minister, and has nominated their senior leader Syed Sardar Ahmed for the post.
The MQM has also announced that Faisal Subzwari will be the parliamentary leader in the Sindh assembly, while Khawaja Izharul Hassan would be the deputy parliamentary leader. In the National Assembly, Dr Farooq Sattar will be the parliamentary leader while Rasheed Godil would be the deputy parliamentary leader. The Rabita committee statement also said that Ishratul Ebad had resigned from the MQM before becoming governor of Sindh, and that the decision on appointing the new governor would come from the federal government.
Opposition parties to put up a fight for CM slot
With the MQM’s decision to sit on the opposition benches, the other opposition parties are trying to convince its leadership to support their nominees for the chief minister, speaker and deputy speaker. The joint opposition, including PML-N, PML-F and even PTI, has nominated Ifranullah Marwat and Nusrat Seher Abbasi for the slots of speaker and deputy speaker against the PPP candidates Agha Siraj Durrani and Shehla Raza. Meanwhile, the MQM has nominated Khawaja Izharul Hassan as speaker and Heer Ismail Sohu as deputy speaker.
After the session, the PML-N’s Irfanullah Marwat told the media that they would not let the PPP’s candidates sail through without a contest. “Though they have a majority, we are following the parliamentary requirements,” he said, adding that they would also nominate the candidate for the chief minister slot and finalize the name by today (Thursday) morning.
On the other hand, one of the PML F leaders told The Express Tribune that the opposition parties are also trying to woo MQM to nominate a joint candidate against the PPP. “Since the MQM has also announced that they are considering nominating a candidate for the slot of chief minister we are trying to approach them to field a joint candidate,” he said.
“If the MQM agrees then the PML-F will nominate Imtiaz Shaikh for the slot of Chief Minister to contest against Syed Qaim Ali Shah,” he said.
But MQM leader Faisal Subzwari had a different view. “The Party has decided to nominate me as parliamentary leader and we are also holding talks with other opposition parties to support our candidate Syed Sardar Ahmed as leader of the house,” he said. The election for the leader of the house is scheduled at around 6:30PM today and will be held through a secret ballot.
Despite the MQM’s decision of sitting in the opposition, some reports suggest that the party has started bargaining with the PML-N in order to join the federal government; with others saying its decision to sit in the opposition in Sindh is also a way to improve its bargaining position with the PPP.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2013.