Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan on Thursday met Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani for the second consecutive day and conveyed him a strong message from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) that it was impossible for the party to join the government when its workers were being ruthlessly massacred across Karachi.
A source told Pakistan Today that during the meeting, Ebad told the prime minister that due to the lack of political will, no action was being taken against the criminal gangs in Karachi, who were taking out their opponents one by one across the city. The governor urged Gilani to order a thorough clampdown against criminals who were slaughtering people to serve their agendas. During the meeting, which was also attended by Religious
Affairs Minister Syed Khurhsid Shah, the prime minister passed instructions to the Sindh government for an immediate and across-the-board action against criminals who were destroying the peace in Karachi.
Later, the prime minister summoned Interior Minister Rehman Malik and asked him to visit Karachi and take measures to restore order to the city, making it possible for the MQM to rejoin the governments in Sindh and the Centre. “Show no leniency to the elements who are ruining the city,” Gilani ordered Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah in an unusual hard conversation. The source said Ebad told Gilani that his party would in no way consider the proposal of formulation of a new local government system in Karachi, an idea floated by Water and Power Minister Syed Naveed Qamar the other day.
“Both parties are working on proposals to create a new local bodies system – a merger of the Local Government System Ordinance, 2001 and the Sindh Local Government Ordinance of 1979 – to help both the parties’ interests, besides convincing other stakeholders, including the PML-Q, PML-F, ANP and the Sindhi nationalists,” the source added.
During the meeting, MQM chief Altaf Hussain also spoke to the prime minister over telephone and expressed his concern over the deteriorating law and order in Karachi.
Dr Farooq Sattar, MQM’s deputy convener, also spoke to Gilani and briefed him about the law and order in Karachi. Later, Malik called on Gilani at the Prime Minister’s House and discussed with him the latest situation in Karachi in detail.
Summons:Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned several PPP federal and Sindh ministers at the Presidency today (Friday) to chalk out the party’s final strategy over the talks with the MQM.
Experts believe the meeting was very important as most of the federal and provincial ministers had criticised the party’s twist on the restoration of the Local Government Ordinance, 2001, during a recent cabinet meeting and had also conveyed their concerns to the president at a follow-up meeting, claiming that the party had been marginalised in interior Sindh due to the acceptance of MQM’s demands.
The meeting would also take a final decision about MQM’s demand for Sindh home and local government ministries.
President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar confirmed that Zardari had summoned senior party leaders for deliberations.
