The sudden jump by Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM), parting ways with the PPP-led coalition government in centre and Sindh, moving from treasury to opposition benches, is actually part of a plan hatched in the presidency to deprive PML-F of the slot of opposition leader in Sindh Assembly, Pakistan Today has learnt reliably.
MQM’s parliamentary leader Dr Farooq Sattar announced his party’s exit from the PPP-led coalition government in centre and Sindh on Saturday owing to reservation over withdrawal of cases against Lyari gang war criminals.
However, the actual objective behind this move is not as claimed by Sattar. A source in the government told Pakistan Today that the move is aimed at denying the appointment of the nominee of ten parties’ alliance, led by PML-F chief Pir Pagara, as leader of the opposition in Sindh Assembly.
The PML-F nominee, Nusrat Sehr Abbasi, who has support of ten MPAs of the opposition, had to be appointed as leader of the opposition and an application had been moved since long but the slot has not as yet been notified to Abbasi by Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Khuhro.
The MQM has strength of 50 MPAs in the Sindh Assembly while the PPP has support of over 90 MPAs. “Under the plan, the MQM would win the nomination of opposition leader in Sindh Assembly-thus depriving the PML-F nominee of the slot. This would also enable both former allies-MQM and PPP-to unanimously name a caretaker chief minister and members of his cabinet,” said the source. The source said through this move, President Asif Zardari had once again proven his wisdom to all his friends and rivals and knocked out opposition parties, including Sharif’s PML-N and Pagara’s PML-F, even before the consultation process for installing caretakers had started. The source added the move would pave the way for appointment of people having no political background but who would have complete blessings of the MQM and the PPP.
“Thus the objective of winning elections would be achieved easily by the PPP and MQM and the opposition comprising of PML-F, PML-N and other nationalist parties, would be denied equal grounds,” the source added. Despite repeated attempts, no leader of MQM or PPP was available for comments over the information gathered by Pakistan Today.