MQM gives another divorce to PPP

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Saturday finally announced to part ways with the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Sindh and the Centre.
The fresh split is being speculated to be part of the ruling allies’ clandestine plan to allot opposition seats to the MQM in the Sindh Assembly where a joint opposition has recently emerged under the umbrella of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional to give, perceivably, a tough time to the PPP on the question of the interim setup.
Addressing a press conference at party headquarters Nine-Zero, MQM parliamentary leader Dr Farooq Sattar declared that his party would sit on opposition benches in the Sindh and national assemblies.
He said the decision was taken by a meeting of MQM Coordination Committee in protest against the PPP’s alleged withdrawal of criminal cases against Lyari’s gangsters from the outlawed People’s Amn Committee.
There is a widely-held perception that to retain its traditional political stronghold, Lyari, in the upcoming elections, PPP would have to rejuvenate the leadership of the now defunct Amn Committee which was made target of a deadly police operation last year, killing several people including law enforcement officials.
Several criminal cases were lodged against Amn Committee leaders including Uzair Jan Baloch, Habib Jan Baloch and others, all of whom were declared as proclaimed offenders.
Saturday saw MQM leader Dr Sattar claiming that the PPP had withdrawn all cases against the criminals of Lyari who, he said, had paralysed the socio-economic life in the violence-hit metropolis. He, however, stopped short of showing any proof to substantiate his claim.
“The PPP’s continued and overt support to criminals has forced the MQM Rabita Committee to decide on parting ways with the People’s Party,” Dr Sattar told journalists.
He claimed that despite an all out support from his side, the PPP never responded positively and had been hindering the work of MQM’s ministers.
The MQM leader, however, let the room for a possible future re-alliance open by saying that the consultation process would continue.

MQM DECISION ‘PERSONAL’:

Commenting on the issue, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said the decision was a “personal” one by the MQM leadership.
“The MQM has been with us for the past four years and if they want to separate now it’s their personal decision. I, however, reject the allegations that have been levelled against the PPP,” Memon said.
He said the MQM had also announced the break-up a month ago, but then decided otherwise.
Even PML-N, the major opposition party in the National Assembly, dubbed the move as a pre-planned drama to pave the way for manipulating the formulation of the interim government in Sindh where political analysts believe the forthcoming election contest would be tougher than other provinces.
Khwaja Muhammad Asif said the MQM was going to become a “fake” opposition as the party’s decision was aimed at grabbing opposition benches in Sindh Assembly to bring a favourable interim government in the province.
“It’s a staged act. The PPP and MQM are doing this to bring a friendly interim setup in Sindh,” the PML-N leader claimed.
TV anchor Kamran Khan said that no incident had occurred that had the potential to spark the MQM decision, which he called an extreme step. The move, he doubted, was politically-motivated.
Per the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the government is bound to consult opposition members in the national and provincial legislatures in formulation of the caretaker government.