From behind the façade of their so-called resignations, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) ministers from the cabinet, Farooq Sattar and Babar Ghouri, are still calling the shots in the ministries of Overseas Pakistanis and Ports and Shipping with a silent support from Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
A source in the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis told Pakistan Today that Sattar was still supervising ministry affairs and passing directions to the secretary on daily basis. “All transfers, promotions and postings in the ministry and its subsidiaries like Overseas Pakistani Foundation (OPF) are done after due approval by dysfunctional minister Farooq Sattar,” said the source.
The MQM, since it parted ways with the PPP led coalition government, has demanded more than once of the government to accept resignations of its ministers but the actions of MQM leaders speak otherwise clearly indicating that the Muttahida’s public stance vis-à-vis its relations with the PPP is just an eyewash. “On one hand, the MQM asks the PPP government to accept resignation of its ministers and on the other it encourages its ministers to continue controlling the ministries tacitly,” said a PPP leader seeking not to be named.
“The secretary Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis reports to Sattar on daily basis and takes dictation on all minor/major issues. The Prime Minister Secretariat is also aware of MQM minister’s full control on the ministry but it has directed to ministry officials with PM’s consent to comply with Sattar’s orders,” said the source. Another source in the PM secretariat said that like Sattar, Ghouri too was controlling the Ministry of Ports and Shipping fully and passing orders on all policy matters of the ministry and its subordinate departments.
Meanwhile, a tug of war for having authority of appointment of community welfare attachés in Pakistani missions abroad between the ministries of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (HRD) has intensified as HRD Federal Minister Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain has sent a proposal to the PM seeking placement of the subject under his ministry. A source in the ministry said that Hussain had contested case on the grounds that as CWAs were supposed to look after Pakistani labourers abroad therefore the subject relating to their appointments should be part of the ministry which was already looking all other matters like overseas employment and workers welfare.
The source said Hussain had handed over request to the PM during a dinner hosted by him in honour of PML-Q parliamentarians on Friday. “We hope, the subject of appointment of community welfares attachés would be soon shifted from the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis to the Ministry of Human Resource Development,” said an official of HRD ministry. Presently, community welfare attachés are selected by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis.
A source in the ministry of Overseas Pakistanis said that the ministry would conduct interviews of short-listed candidates in near future. “To please the angry MQM, the PM will not hand over subject of appointment of attachés to PML-Q,” said an official of the ministry of Overseas Pakistanis. Sattar and Ghouri could not be contacted for their version.
