In yet another political about-turn, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain told Dr Ishratul Ebad, who had recently resigned as Sindh governor following his party’s decision to quit the federal and provincial governments, to return to his post on Monday.
Though Ebad had resigned and left the country for Dubai, President Asif Zardari had not accepted his resignation as behind-the-scenes contacts had been initiated to bring the estranged ally of the government back into the coalition. Ebad was expected to reach Karachi early on Tuesday on board a special aircraft sent by the president. The resignations of the MQM’s federal and provincial ministers have also not been accepted so far.
In a statement issued from London, Hussain said: “Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan will resume the charge of his office as desired by the president.” This development took place following Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s visit to the MQM headquarters and President Zardari’s telephonic contact with Hussain. Hussain asked Ebad to work in harmony with the federal and provincial governments under the guidance of the president.
“The governor should ensure his effective contribution towards stability in the province and play his role to act as a bridge to build relationships,” the statement said. Wajahat Hussain, spokesmen for the Sindh governor, told Pakistan Today that Ebad’s resignation was not accepted by President Zardari. “He is returning tonight (Monday) to assume his responsibilities at Governor’s House. There is no need for any official ceremony for resuming the charge. He is the governor of Sindh,” said the spokesman.
ANP, PPP WELCOME: Awami National Party (ANP) Sindh welcomed Ebad’s return in a statement and termed it a big step towards restoration of peace in Karachi.
The ANP Sindh spokesman was optimistic that MQM’s ministers would also return to their offices because it was essential for peace in the city.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sindh also welcomed Ebad’s return. PPP Sindh General Secretary Taj Haider told Pakistan Today it would have been better if MQM had not left the government in the first place. “There was no reason to quit the alliance with the PPP. We welcome him [back],” he said.
Within 20 days of quitting the coalition governments in the Centre and Sindh, the MQM, known for switching tracks faster than bullet trains, is also gearing up to rejoin the federal and Sindh governments after Ebad returns to his office. A source told Pakistan Today that the return of Ebad was only a confidence-building measure between the PPP and the MQM to accelerate reconciliation efforts, which was only possible because of an important part played by Shujaat.
“Although the PPP government is in a smooth position even without the MQM legislators and the treasury benches still have a clear majority in both Houses of parliament, President Asif Zardari is in no mood to give any opportunity to the PML-N to form an election alliance with any major political force and the dialogue with the MQM leadership reflects his political maturity,” the source said, adding that despite opposition by some party heavyweights, the president had tasked Shujaat with wooing back the MQM at all costs. Under the new understanding, he said, now delegations of both parties would have quiet meetings to resolve their differences. “After its show of force in most parts of Sindh, the MQM is now taking part in the dialogue from a position of strength and now it could get most of its demands implemented,” the source said.
The relationship between the MQM and the ruling PPP has not been as pleasant as the latter enjoys with other political allies because of the continued political somersaults from time to time by the second-tier leadership of the MQM, known as the party’s Coordination Committee. Soon after the general elections of February 18, 2008, the MQM, along with other political parties, gave its vote of confidence to the PPP’s Yousaf Raza Gilani for prime minister on March 24, 2008.
The first instance of serious differences between the two parties emerged soon afterwards when the PPP started reshuffling the bureaucracy appointed by former president Pervez Musharraf in April 2008 and named Shoaib Suddle the inspector general of Sindh Police. The MQM resisted initially and raised serious objections publicly against the appointment of Suddle, accusing him of extra-judicial killings in the Karachi operation against MQM workers. Though the leaders of both parties sorted things out for the time being, it laid the foundation of mistrust and paranoia that has since hurt the coalition throughout the following years.
The uneasy coalition partners again developed differences when the PPP government abolished Musharraf’s local bodies system in the country. The PPP-led government replaced the local bodies system with administrators owing to its political compulsions, whereas the MQM was in favour of retaining the district government system as it had provided the party – based largely in urban Sindh – an opportunity to accommodate large number of its workers to enhance their political influence, strengthening the party’s political clout in urban Sindh.
Issues such as the re-demarcation of constituencies and targeted killings also simmered at the base of the differences between the PPP and the MQM. The MQM had been wary of the PPP’s intentions as it saw the re-drawing of constituencies, also called the delimitation process, as a bid to turn the MQM’s majority into a minority in certain areas.
Conversely, the PPP leadership accused the MQM of being involved in targeted killings. But the differences were swept under the rug every time to save the coalition. The MQM also opposed the “black law” of the National Reconciliation Order (NRO) when the PPP-government was desperately trying to legalise corrupt practices committed by its leaders by making it a part of the constitution. The ordinance, issued by Musharraf, had withdrawn graft cases against various PPP leaders, including Zardari. Hussain, the chief of the MQM, had said that the NRO, being a “black law” based on political expediency and vested interests could not, be made part of the constitution.
The battle over the NRO was reflective of the fact that the two parties, despite being in the government, were at loggerheads with each other on a host of issues. Altaf started raising issues publicly for the first time to counter the PPP’s moves and said the national document, the constitution, must be saved from the NRO as it amounted to making corruption legal in the country. The issue of targeted killings resurfaced when former Sindh home minister Zulfiqar Mirza, a close confidant of President Zardari, accused the MQM of being involved in targeted killings. The MQM protested against the statement raised serious objections, also calling for Mirza’s removal.
The Coordination Committee of the MQM gave a 10-day deadline to the PPP government to resolve the issue. Delegations of MQM also met the prime minister and the president in this connection time and again, but to no avail. Initially it appeared that the coalition would survive, but the MQM resigned from the federal cabinet on December 27, 2010, but said it would sit on the treasury benches and support the government.
That decision was reversed by the Coordination Committee only after five days and the MQM decided to sit on the opposition benches, marking the complete departure of the MQM from the government, an exercise that was repeated this time and which seems to have hit its final notes today with the MQM’s return to the government.
Another blackmail by Altaf Hussain. What a shame that President Zardari keeps on playing game with Pakistanis to keep his corrupt government going while country is in deplorable condition. May be Pakistanis desreve these conditions. Because they have no guts to rise up and over throw this so called government.
MQM without power is just like a fish without water. I was confident that MQM will come back and so it did. There are no principles in politics played by Altaf and Zardari. Both of them have no concerns for poor people who are being murdered by MQM's thugs.
Ishrat ul Ebad has arrived in Karachi and returning to the governor house. The sort of politics played by Altaf and Zardari is unparalleled. No one should be surprised to see the thugs of MQM spring into action to summon co-ordination committe into a meeting followed by a press conference addressed by CDGK/Water Board employee Anis Qaimkhani spewing venom against PPP and its leader Asif Zardari.
This is a reality in Sindh. Sometimes one has to consume "Bitter Glass Of Water". We in Pakistan are Sheep who follow their Shepherds without knowing the consequences and the end result..
My observations of few months stay in my great beloved country.
The country,its economy,foreign affairs,law and security,common welfare, sovereignty has blown to smithereens, nut by nut, bolt by bolt, inch by inch, horrendous engineered corruption,drones,enslaving to Nato,UKIMF,UK,USA.The modus operndi has been during 46 months of PPP-Zardari,MLQ,MMA,MQM,ANP coalition of worst ever corrupt coalition mafia has been to appoint the third class,corrupt,inefficient heads of department, incompetent,immature,inexperienced ministers responsible for ruination of Railways,PIA,EOBI,NILC,PSML,PIA, OGRA,OGDCL,Petroluem industries etc.The list is endless.After Mahmood querashy,drones attacks shaming our sovereignty escalated,’ you keep on droning, we keep on putting up fake protests syndrome. and PPP- Zardari,the virtual king despite LHC verdict interfering in day to day party politics will now dictate every inch of foreign policy suiting his vested interests of trillion dollar business empire, buying of state corporation nearly made broke to favorites on peanuts. The new inexperienced FM would play the most acquiescent role to appease his bosses President and Prime minister to executing pro USA,NATO,UK,India regional agenda which ensures the perpetuation of PPP-Zardari dynastic rule and protection of billion dollar ill gotten wealth. That explains the cursed coalition of most corrupt coalition of ‘gurgge ajal,gurgge baraen’,wolves of death- the slave TV channels of MQM,PPPZ,ARY,Newsone,Express,Dunya TV,partly Geo,AAJ,Samaa,CNBC etcetc and its toxic emitting newscasters, anchors projecting the ‘munafaks,qatils,mokaprasts,the target killers of thousands,bathakhors of billions of dollars, the horrible blackmailing hundreds of UTurns by MQM,the target killings of thousands remain uninestigated, as Saints in MQM,ANP,PPPZ,MLQ. They would not demand the arrest of criminal target killers who killed nearly one hidred twenty five poor, innocent but bury it under their ‘mumafti’policy to bring peace in Karachi. Thousands have been killed by PPP-Z,MQM,ANP three party involved but no TV channel of Karachi slaves,footsoldiers of MQM dare talk on this issue or any other which does not suit MQM politics but would twenty fours hours highlight Anjum Aqeels’ case because it suits politics of PPP-Z,MQM,MLQ but would not spend one minute on hotly pursuing the recent target killings of 125,billion of rupees public property burned,MQM calling PPP-Z government implicated with USA to conspire against Pak Army, everything will ruin in Pakistan after two seats in Azad Kashmir became bone of contention ,MQM wanted the country to burn.Everything is now settled between the cursed coalition of PPP-Z,MQM,ANP,MLQ and buried under their tyrannical, merciless ‘mumafti feet’ while the most unintelligent,arrogant,ego centric ‘opposition’ remains divided amongst themselves as engineered by MQM,PPPZ,MLQ,ANP(MQM so called role of opposition is just a ‘munafakat’.to penetrate into opposition to spy and break opposition to further pieces for PPP-Z,MQMANP,MLQ-Choudries) who are hell bent to break Pakistan inch by inch to serve their sinister ,devilish personal agenda.This ‘farooun’opposion does not still protest Benzir Income Support Fund,Waseela Huk, type schemes funded by two trillion rupees of poor taxmoney which are creating and consolidating PPP-Zardari vote bank already by 20000000.The rural and urban beneficiaries think and say so that the money given to them comes from Bilawal,Bakhtawar ,Zardari and from their personal purses. These schemes must be changed in their name by eg,Quaid Azam,Pakistan,National and not by any political personlity.But stupid schemes has been launched by ML-N to only benefit few thousands graduates in ‘yellow cab’once already a most controversial schemes.
Nation should rise against cursed coalition of PPP-Z,MQM,ANP,MMA,MLQ,ego centric ‘oppositionwalas’ and MQM,neocon slave Karachi TV channels to save Pakistan and its 16.5 crore poor,safaidposhs,retired especially from private sector, already pounded to pieces by ‘no bijli,no pani,no roti,higherst ever utility tarifs,astronically rising prices,state coroporations,state institutions systematically ruined by corruption and incompetence all by design.O,Allah forgive us for choosing our enemies and save us,Amin!
it is proved that they have no alternate to survive !!!!!!
MQM is evil when its with PPP…and clean when in allaince with PML-N…what hypocracy!
Bhata khorron ko batha mil gaya
Isn't it a shame that the US Ambassador has played a role of mediator in getting his proxies to make deal with equally unscruplous Zardari. Why the Americans are so impressed by these thugs. Do they have any ulterior designs on Sindh's politics in general and Karachi in particular? Do they really believe the MQM is the sole custodian of Karachi? It is shameful for the Americans to follow double standard policy as regards to their war against terrorists whereever they are. On the one hand the United States is fighting against vicious Taliban thousands of miles away from their homes and on the other hand they are protecting Altaf Hussain in London to pull the strings from there and destroy peace in Karachi. Isn't it a kind of urban terrorism by the MQM. I sincerely hope that the United States government would cease to function as patrons of MQM and this would be having a positive effect in very short time and will bring peace back to Karachi. I hope American Ambassador is listening.
I would request Pakistan Today to send copy of my comment to the US Ambassador Mr Munter.
@Obs from London. The Americans have openly displayed their liking for the MQM. As far as the Yankees are concerned, these target killers are acceptable. After all this is what they did to Red Indians. The killers of Karachi have UZI guns, with abundance of supply assured through KPT. Terrorists are only those in the opinion of USA, who are not playing their games. There is no doubt an ulterior motive in the special relations between MQM and USA, with AZ playing role of facilitator.
You are right. MQM have become a sacred cow. Altaf Hussain who was pariah not long ago is now rehabilitated by the media and for them is a taboo to speak against this thug in the name of so called impartiality they are already pursuing.
On would notice that there is no mention of the majority of Sindhis who unfortunately have become sidelined by the very government which could not have dreamt of forming a government in Sindh without help of any other party for the first time after murder of Z A Bhutto. I agree if the Americans continue their support to these thugs and target killers native Sindhis will be converted into Red Indians inhabiting reservations as you see in the modern United States of America.
As one comments suggests,the Karachi Karachi TV channels and few more are MQM party.They loose no moment to prove the targert killings or bathakhori done by MQM as done ny ANP-PPPZ when it suits MQM.Anything that or any politician,political party which suits their agenda is not eroticised. However,even if MQM creates bloodbath on streets ,it is the rose water.MQM TV channels are playing the real devil in Pakistan,no doubt.
You are right Asma. These so called indepedent TV channels are pawns in the hands of MQM. Where on earth a party like MQM would get importance to the extreme so much so that any issue of any importance to the nation will be put off the air and show the jocular speeches of Altaf Hussain from London. The channels will not dare to leave the coverage of his speeches in the middle and they are duty bound to cover in full. Such is supine media who keep the facts away from the people in the name of impartialty.
Every media channel is afraid to comment on the MQM. The Americans suppport them and keep mum when innocent citizens are being killed, because the MQM is serving their interests. The blood of Palestinians has been pouring for several decades, yet these torch bearers of human rights did not feel any compassion for them. What the MQM is doing to the citizens of Karachi is called ethnic cleansing. The Americans did this to Red Indians and are experts in this field. The media houses of Karachi have seen the fate of Wali Khan Babar and many others. The whole world watched the ransacking of AJJ TV channel after the 12 May coverage.
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