Quashing speculation: Zardari rules out governor’s rule in Sindh

Says he is ‘satisfied’ with chief minister’s performance

ISLAMABAD:

Amidst scathing criticism of the PPP-led government in Sindh, the party’s co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari has ruled out imposition of governor’s rule in the province. Instead he said he was ‘completely satisfied’ with the performance of the octogenarian chief minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who has been facing calls for his resignation since the May 13 deadly attack on a bus carrying members of the peaceful Ismaili community in Karachi.

“After the 18th constitutional amendment, imposition of governor’s rule is not easy anymore. Now it has to go through parliament within a specified timeframe,” Zardari told journalists during an informal media interaction on Monday.



The statement came two days after Karachi Corps Commander Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar said that political and administrative inefficiency had complicated the law and order situation in the metropolitan city where a surgical operation has been ongoing since last year.

However, Zardari said except for Karachi, there was peace in the province. “Sindh has never been more peaceful during any of the military regimes,” he added. “We have no plans to replace the chief minister. He [Qaim Ali Shah] is not only the chief minister, he is also president of PPP’s Sindh chapter,” he said, quashing speculation about an administrative change in the province.

Asked about the recent statement of the Karachi corps commander, Zardari said military officials were trained to be aggressive. He recalled that after the 1971 Fall of Dhaka, when someone asked the military ruler how he was feeling, he said ‘all is well’.  The PPP co-chairman said it was the civilian government that had called the army and paramilitary Rangers in Karachi and other areas to assist the civil administration. He agreed with a questioner that the Karachi operation has indirectly benefited the MQM. “Such operations galvanise any community which considers itself marginalised,” he added.

On the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the PPP sides with smaller political parties agitating a perceived change in its route – ostensibly for media consumption. However, Zardari appears to be supporting the PML-N government on the multibillion-dollar project.

“Our concept [when PPP was in power] was the shortest route. It passed through two provinces only. Chinese President Xi Jinping in his speech before the joint session of parliament said Beijing wanted it to pass through all the four provinces. We should not have any objection if China is willing to fund the 1,500-kilometre-long longer route,” Zardari said.

The PPP co-chairman, who is known for his superior negotiating skills, hopes he will be able to evolve a national consensus on the issue. “I’m making this claim due to my personal rapport with leaders of all mainstream political parties,” he added.

Zardari was not worried about PPP’s performance in the 2013 elections. “We made some wrong decisions in awarding tickets,” he added. “The situation was not in our favour, those whom Imran Khan calls ‘empires’ were also against us. We will regain the lost ground once the situation changes.”

The PPP co-chairman dispelled the impression that the party has lost ground under his leadership. “It will be wrong to say that the PPP has weakened under my leadership. We succeeded in making our government in Sindh even though we were not able to run our election campaign,” he added.

Asked why the PPP could not mount a Zarb-e-Azb-like military operation during its tenure, Zardari said it was during PPP’s government that Swat was cleansed of militants but could not replicate the operation in the tribal regions.About a re-organisation of the PPP, Zardari said he, Bilawal and Aseefa need to sit with the children and grandchildren of the party’s veteran workers to work out a re-organisation plan. To a question about Bilawal’s return to Pakistan, Zardari said he could not give any date but “my son will be back soon to join active politics”.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2015.