Apprehensions regarding rigging in the general elections in Sindh are likely to turn true as the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) have decided on a 13-member caretaker provincial cabinet of blue-eyed jiyalas and sathis to steal the elections in the province.
The announcement in this regard is yet to be made though.
According to reliable sources, the caretaker cabinet would include eight PPP jiyalas and four MQM sathis while one portfolio has been allotted to the Awami National Party (ANP), so that it keeps its lips sealed.
However, the sources said the provincial caretaker setup does not include a single member from the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) or the National Peoples Party (NPP), the two other opposition parties in Sindh.
The candidates from the PPP would be Fida Hussain Dhakan, Agha Wasi Durrani, Fauzia Jaffery, Fazalur Rehman, Gen (r) Ehsan, Dr Kareem Memon, Zia Langar and Shujat Ali Jokhio.
The four candidates from the MQM would be Barrister Habibur Rehman, Shujaat Ali Baig, Nadra Panjwani and Advocate Qazi Khalid.
The lone ANP man in the would-be Sindh caretaker government would be Pir Riaz Gul.
According to sources, Dhakan is PPP’s Media Cell in-charge, Durrani is the brother of former PPP provincial minister Agha Siraj Durrani, Lanjar is coordinator to President Asif Zardari’s sister Faryal Talpur and Fauzia is the president of the PPP Women Wing while, former Sindh chief secretary Rehman and Memon are said to be close to President Zardari.
Among the MQM candidates, Baig is the husband of MQM MNA Khushbakht Shujat and Advocate Khalid has represented the MQM several times. Barrister Rehman and Nadra are also said to be strong supporters of the party.
When approached for comments, NPP President Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi said the MQM had not consulted the PML-F and the NPP, on the issue of the caretaker setup in Sindh.
“I have no idea of this deal between the PPP, the MQM and the ANP as the NPP is not part of any negotiations as far as the caretaker setup in Sindh is concerned,” he said.
