'Bantustanaisation' of Sindh — Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur

The 18th Amendment had ostentatiously devolved powers to the provinces but the First Schedule of the new ordinance reintroduces a hybrid concurrent list in Sindh

I never thought that Sindh, the land of the legendary Makhdoom Bilawal who preferred pulverisation by the Arghun ruler’s oil seed grinder to submission in 1523 AD (929 AH); where on February 17, 1843 in Miani, 6,000 plus martys, including Mir Jan Mohammad Talpur who was buried there as his wounds made shifting impossible, would see this day when it would capitulate to selfishness and abandon the rights of Sindhis just to retain their privileges. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has done just that by passing the Sindh People’s Local Government Ordinance 2012 in an indecent haste.

The perfidious ordinance sounds the death knell for Sindhis’ rights by giving the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) the unchallenged right to rule urban Sindh and confines Sindhis to rural areas. The ordinance is unadulterated mischief because only the First Schedule has been published yet, and it is mischief personified, while all other schedules still under wraps must certainly carry more trouble and harm. The people of Sindh are resisting this perfidy but it seems the PPP government and party is bent upon inflicting this deadly wound on Sindh, bartering away its destiny.

This skewed ordinance weakens the already emasculated provincial government by creating the Metropolitan Corporation with Mayoral office, which in many respects is more powerful than the chief minister and his ministries. That would thus create a diarchy but not a simple diarchy for as per the ordinance, the urban local government has untrammelled powers in cities where the gerrymandered constituencies and bogus elections ensure that the MQM has the sole right to rule while the rural areas where decrepit governance prevails, languish.

Under this ordinance, the mayor with unbridled powers heads the Metropolitan Corporation with its separate bureaucracy under a Chief Officer, chosen or requisitioned by him. His autonomy from the provincial government in matters of administration, planning, allocation, taxation, supervision, audit, budgeting, works, communication, environment, transport, works, execution, inspection, enforcement, etc, will create a parallel power centre. He enjoys some magisterial powers plus Section 144 CRPC. His removal requires a two-thirds majority; the mover/seconder loses his seat if the motion fails. Even if he is prima facie guilty of transgressing laws, the chief minister cannot remove him but refers to the Provincial Local Government Commission with a 90-day inquiry deadline. A mayoral autocracy will thrive in the name of democracy.

The NFC Award, supposedly the guarantor of fiscal independence, has been nullified by this ordinance. Its section 124 establishes a Provincial Finance Commission, headed by the provincial finance minister and ‘shall comprise of such other members as may be prescribed, and would recommend the distribution of funds between the provincial and local governments on the basis of such vague, subjective and potentially contentious principles as “fiscal need, fiscal capacity, fiscal effort and performance.” The finance portfolio will not be difficult for the MQM to pry away from the spineless PPP government. It ensures perpetual deprivation for Sindhis and hostility along the ethnic fault lines.

The 18th Amendment had ostentatiously devolved powers to the provinces but the First Schedule of the new ordinance reintroduces a hybrid concurrent list in Sindh. That will allow the metropolitan areas, particularly Karachi and Hyderabad, to exercise almost the same range of powers and functions as are enjoyed by the provincial government, thus accentuating the urban-rural divide for all intents and purposes. This means that the urban centres will be ruled at the whim of the MQM muscled in by bogus elections. Under an unfettered MQM rule, they will become increasingly active and dangerous.

The warped ordinance will allow the MQM to forge laws and create conditions that will exclude people of other ethnicities from all political and economic benefits and force them into ghettoes in the cities it will control. The rural areas as it is receive only crumbs from the urban rulers. This inequitable ordinance creates conditions for political and economic apartheid for all ethnic groups with the exception of urban muhajirs and this is the first systematic step for creating ‘Bantustans’ for Sindhis in Sindh so that the indigenous Sindhis do not even get half a chance to progress.

Bantustans, the black homelands, were created by the South African apartheid regime to ensure that the blacks and coloureds were excluded from all benefits that the whites enjoyed. These Bantustans were a major administrative device for the exclusion of blacks from the South African political and economic system under the policy of apartheid. The new ordinance in Sindh follows Hendrik Verwoerd’s apartheid policy principle known as “separate development”. It will ensure that the development in rural, read Sindhi, areas will be condemned to absolute neglect.

The Bantustans of rural areas here under the ordinance are a double whammy for Sindhis as it benefits the MQM by making cities Pretoria and Johannesburg for them; and secondly, making the rural areas Vendaland, Transkei, Kwa-Zulu, etc, for Sindhis, thus depriving them of their rights and opportunities and keeping them mired in the Middle Ages. This ordinance creates the optimum conditions for dividing Sindh between the Urdu-speaking and Sindhi-speaking people, initiating a perpetual conflict between them. The PPP in its anxiety to retain power has recklessly forsaken Sindhis and agreed to the Bantustanaisation of Sindh.

This ordinance will exacerbate the already acute ethnic conflicts. Inevitably, along the existing ethnic fault-lines, tectonic scale fissures will appear and result in an irreversible ethnic and social meltdown because when a single ethnic group pockets all the rewards and the rest are denied even the basic essentials, there is bound to be unprecedented turmoil. It carries the germ of division and can only result in violence. During the civil war in Cyprus, the Greek and Turkish populations generally inhabited separate areas while here they intermingle, which means more bloodshed.

There however is a glitch in this plan. The people of Sindh have realised that their rights have been bartered away for personal benefits by the PPP and MQM and its beneficiaries stand to prosper further, therefore they are bravely resisting the attempt to permanently consign them to ghettoes. They have to understand, if they have not yet, that once they are corralled in their Bantustans there is no escape because they have neither a Nelson Mandela nor an ANC to lead them. They will have to man the barricades for the salvation of Sindh and Sindhis themselves.

The writer has an association with the Baloch rights movement going back to the early 1970s. He tweets at mmatalpur and can be contacted at mmatalpur@gmail.com

(Courtesy daily Times, 21 October, 2012)

Sindh Bachayo Committee's Stand On New Local Govt System In Sindh

ONE SINDH, ONE SYSTEM – NO TO DUAL SYSTEM

Sindh has been subject to continuous onslaught against its sovereignty and unity particularly
during last sixty five years of Pakistani Federation.   The recent attack on its sovereignty has
been hurled by no other than Pakistan People’s Party who claims to have the mandate of the
people of Sindh.  This attack on the unity and sovereignty of Sindh in the shape of so called
Sindh Peoples Local Government Act, 2012 reminds us the era of July, 1948 when Karachi was
snatched from Sindh and placed under the suzerainty of centre.  Sindh Assembly had to take
refuge in Hyderabad. At present, Sindh Assembly’s  very existence at Karachi will also be
devoid of any utility as it has transferred the executive authority of Provincial Government to
Metropolitan Corporation, Karachi making itself and the Sindh Government a puppet in the
hands of Karachi Mayor.

Unfortunately, Sindh Government is  undeterred by its capitulation and surrender.   Its
Ministers, advisors and PPP office bearers have been making  baseless allegations against the
leaders of National and progressive Parties of Sindh who have been  spearheading a heroic
struggle against this black law. Ignorant of the very letter and spirit of SPLG Act, 2012, the
Government is defending the defenseless.  We would like to present the case of Sindh against
this law by pointing out various provisions of this black law.  For the sake of convenience and
understanding, we have divided the Act of 2012 into three parts: First relates to the constitution
of Councils, Second enumerates the powers of the Metropolitan Corporations and third is about
the financial powers conferred on the councils and resources made available to them.


(1) Constitution of Councils:

Section 8 of the SPLG Act, 2012 declares Karachi as a single district abolishing five districts for
the sake of municipal purposes.  It creates a single Metropolitan Corporation out of five districts
in Karachi and five other single district Metropolitan Corporations in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas,
Sukkur, Khairpur and Larkana. Constituting single district metropolitan corporations in no case
affects  the demographic balance of population.  However, it badly affects the demographic balance and representation  of various communities particularly sindhi and Baloch in Karachi when their majority districts of Malir, South and West as well as large parts of district East are placed under the central control of Mayor who is elected indirectly on the basis of fraudulent electoral system and belongs  to a particular ethnic community not forming majority of the population in Karachi. Under section 8, the Zonal Municipal Committees of the districts and District Council, Karachi representing rural areas of all the five districts have been done away with thus completely eliminating the representation of Sindhi, Baloch and other people living in Karachi. Under Section 9, eighteen towns have been created without respecting the boundaries
of the revenue districts thus political Gerry  maundering has been ordered in the shape of
section 9.  The town boundaries, at present,  run across district boundaries only in Karachi
whereas in other districts of Sindh, town or Talukas are the part and parcel of the same district.

In Karachi, the towns have been created in such a way as to make minority population a
majority one.  No direct elections of the Mayor unlike London will be held.  Thus a dual system
has been enforced which gives complete control to one ethnic community in Karachi at the cost
of others.  Such basis of any law is in clear contradiction of various provisions of constitution of
Pakistan when the Supreme Court of Pakistan has already held that constituencies in Karachi
may be demarcated afresh giving representation to all communities living there.  Thus in the
name of  decentralization, Karachi has been completely centralized  eliminating the
representation of indigenous and other communities by handing over them to the wolves of the
city.  District Council, Karachi which comprised of 70% of the rural areas of Karachi has been
done away with, thus dealing a severe blow to Sindhi and Balochi population of Karachi.  The
fate of Sindhi and Baloch people has been consigned to an extremist group who has a history of
terrorism,  vandalism, torture, mass killings, murder and mayhem.  This system of ethnic
supremacy reminds Sindhi people one of the sad parts of their history when Prime Minister,
Liaquat Ali Khan within one year of Indian  partition in 1947 separated Karachi from rest of
Sindh in July, 1948.  Again in 1954, the central government imposed infamous  one unit
abolishing the provincial status of Sindh and making it a part of Punjab.  Throughout the
history of Pakistan, Sindhis have waged struggle against various onslaughts on the sovereignty and unity of Sindh.  PPP Government has again violated the sovereignty of Sindh by enacting
SPLG Act, 2012 which is no less harmful than Establishment of West Pakistan Act, 1955.

(2) POWERS OF METROPOLITAN CORPORATION KARACHI

Without any iota of doubt, so called Karachi  Metropolitan Corporation of Karachi has been
created like a state within state.  Under sections 14, 38, 39 and schedule 1 of the Sindh Peoples
Local Government Act, 2012, it has been given vast authority and list of subjects much wider in
scale than the powers and subjects given to Federal Government under schedule 4 of the
Constitution.

Under Section 14(5) it has been empowered to establish any office or activity
which power even the Federal Government does not possess as it can establish only those
departments, divisions or Ministries which are enumerated in schedule 4 of the Constitution.
Under Article 137 of the Constitution, Sindh Assembly has no power to transfer the executive
authority of the Provincial Government to any other authority.  Since there is trichotomy of the
powers under the constitution, one organ of the state, particularly a legislative organ  cannot
snatch executive authority from the provincial government. Sindh  Assembly acted in gross
violation of law by passing a piece of legislation which it had no authority to enact.  Despite
opposition and uproar and a missing chapter 18 and 7 schedules from the statue called SPLGA,
Act, 2012, the speaker of the Assembly went ahead with the passing of bill thus repeating
history of his traitor uncle Ayub Khuhro who in the same manner had cajoled and coerced the
members of Sindh Assembly in 1954 to pass an infamous one unit Bill in 1954.  Speaker, Nisar
Khuhro, being a custodian of the house, not only violated rules of the Assembly but committed
an act of treachery.


Under the aforesaid sections and Schedule 1, the Metropolitan Corporations will have 43
departments with their own administration headed by a grade 20 Chief Officer who will be the
head of District administration. Strangely enough, Sindh government has also 43 departments.
Following departments will work under Mayor of Metropolitan Corporation.

1. Primary, vocational and continuing education. (2)  Literacy (3) Health including
basic  and rural health  centers, child health, women health and  hospitals (4) Civil
Defense (5) Community development and organization (6) Fisheries (7) Social
Welfare (8) Sports and Sport Boards (9) Culture (10) Co-operation department (11)
Finance, Budget and  Accounts (12) KDA, KMC lands and Estate department (13)
Property Tax (14) Housing (15) Physical planning (16) Public health engineering (17)
Transport (18) Master plans, zoning and clarification of lands (19) Water Board and
other water authorities (20) law and order (21) Law and legal drafting (22)
Encroachments (23) Market Committees  (24) Natural Disasters (25) Co-ordination
(26) Environment (27) Human Resources (28) Information technology (29) Works
and Services (30) Land control and land use (31) Land Revenue Co-ordination (32)
Enterprises (33) Investment (34) Industry and Industrial Estates (35) Dams and water
reservoirs (36) Energy (37) Police and crimes control (38) Planning and Development
(39) Data Base (40) Historical and cultural sites (41) Regional markets and
commercial centers (42) Coastal Development (43) Prosecution of offences under
chapter XVII of the Act.


It is astonishing that Sindh government has 43 departments and the  Metropolitan
Corporations will also have same number of departments.  Apart from above departments,
the MCs have been given judicial powers under sections 109, 133, 143, 144 and 145 of the Cr.
P. C.  They shall also exercise powers under sections 30A to 34-B of the Police Act, 1861.
Section 109 pertains to preventive detention, 133 and 143 to public nuisances, section 144 to
ban any sort of activity including freedom of movement. Under section 145, Mayor has been
empowered to attach a property of any citizen in case of dispute over title of the property.  
Interestingly, these powers, at present, are being exercised by Judiciary  and police and
previously, they were conferred on  District magistrates and sub divisional  Magistrates.
Under section 201, the Mayor could be chairman of development authorities of Malir, Layari
and Hyderabad. Under Section 64 and 149  he will exercise complete control over town
Chairmen unlike Mushraff system.  Under Section 23, Mayor could only be removed by two third majority when the Chief Minister can be removed by simple majority of the house.
Under section 28(e) Mayor will implement Provincial and Federal Laws, under Section 29,
he can take disciplinary action against officers of Administration headed by Chief Officer
and he has been empowered to initiate ACRs of the officers.

PARALLEL ADMINISTRATIONS

Under this arrangement, two parallel administrations will be working in the province:
one under the Chief Officer controlled by Mayor and another under  Deputy
Commissioner who shall be responsible to Chief Minister.  The administration headed
by Mayor will be all resourceful and powerful whereas the administration working under Deputy Commissioner  and instructed by Chief Minister will be nominal, weak
and toothless having no authority whatsoever.  This system is more lethal than
Musharaff’s SLGO of 2001 as under that system power and authority over 12
departments was shared by the Provincial as well as Local Governments.  Under this
system, Metropolitan Corporation will have 43 departments instead of 12 under
Mushraff system which stand completely transferred to them. Under this black Act, the
departmental authority will not be shared by provincial government and councils
rather it has been transferred to MCs to the total exclusion of Sindh government.  This
system will  sow the seeds of conflict and  enmity between Sindhi and Urdu speaking
Sindhis and will divide mother Sindh on ethnic basis.

(3) FINANCIAL BASIS

Municipal institutions throughout their history in Sindh right from 1910 to 2001 catered
to their needs from their own taxes including octri tax, local cess, rents and other fees.
However, with the sharing of authority over 12 departments under Sindh Local
Government Ordinance, 2001, Provincial  Finance commission was created on the pattern of National Finance Commission under Article 160 of the constitution to divide tax revenue between Federal and Provincial  governments.  Similar arrangement has been made under section 124 and 126 of the SLGA 2012. Under section 116, the accounts of the councils shall be kept in a manner approved by the President of Pakistan. Besides, property tax has also been transferred to Metropolitan Corporations. Thus Metropolitan corporations will have their own taxes,  plus property tax as well as right over the
finances of the Provincial Government. The Metropolitan Corporations will be fed from
the finances of provincial government and provincial governments will only be serving
as post offices.  History is witness to the fact that encroachment over the powers and
authority of the Province of Sindh has been anathema to Sindhis.  On the one hand,
centre has usurped the sovereignty and resources of the province and on the other Local
Government system has been tailored to snatch the sovereignty and authority of the
province.  It is beyond any shadow of doubt that all powers and authority of the
Province including coastal islands and finance has been transferred to the Karachi
Metropolitan Corporation which will be established on the basis of undemocratic
Principles eliminating the representation of Sindhi and Baloch people and will be a state
unto itself.

PPP Government, through its inept and treacherous policy, has repeated history when
Chanesar, a  local  traitor entered into an agreement with Alauddin Khilji of Dehli to
attack Sindh.  Great Dodo Soomro fought a valiant struggle against Dehli Rule.  This
black law on the basis of  PPP-Mutahida agreement could be compared only with
Chanesar-Khilji agreement to snatch sovereignty of Sindh.  Therefore, we call upon all
the loyal sons and daughters of Sindh to resist this fascist and anti-Sindh black law by
following in the  footsteps of Great  Dodo and defeat the PPP government who has imposed a war-like terms on Sindh.

SINDH BACHAYO COMMITTEE
Hyder Manzil, Karachi

PPP Needs To Re-evaluate It's Policies

Zardari may return, with broken wings, powerless & as a mere figurehead like Fazal Elahi Chaudhry or Rafiq Tarar; he may even resign as party co-chairperson or become inactive in that position & let Bilawal become more active. But will that be a solution to the problems Pakistan or PPP face? I don't think so. Much more needs to be done. Some heads have to roll & some basic re-evaluation of PPP policies have to take place. People like Faryal, Babar, Rehman and many more must go. People like Aitzaz & Rabbani should be brought in. Corruption, nepotism must be checked. 


Most important is to go back to Benazir Bhutto's policies and stand since her meeting with MNS in Jeddah & later signing of CoD in London, UK. Their written & unwritten agreements must be followed. PPP must change its attitude towards judiciary. It should distance itself from pro-Musharraf parties & try to work with PML-N. It is the need of the hour that PPP & PML-N join hands at this moment to foil the conspiracies hatched by anti-democracy forces. (8 December, 2011)

Most analysts agree that the real Pakistai rulers since last 60 plus years are now fed up with Zardari. But they are not willing to put Nawaz Sharif in the driving seat again either. Why then MNS has taken upon him to dislodge Zardari government through Supreme Court. Does he have any false assurances or any illusions or is he unwittingly paving the way for military establishment’s hand picked man, Imran Khan to come to power? (7 December, 2011)

Presence of Osama bin Laden next door to Pakistan's premier military academy in Abbottabad was a smoking gun against military establishment. They kept lying. No accountability. When elected PMs wanted peace with India, they were either overthrown or sabotaged with conspiracies like the abortive Kargil offensive. When an elected president talked of an agreement on no-first use of atomic bomb & industrial zone on the borders with India, they planned terrorist attack in Mumbai. They have been defeated in all the wars with India but have conquered own country FOUR times & are eating away most of country's budget & have become biggest industrial & commercial enterprise in the country. 

They killed, raped & injured hundreds of thousands of people in Bengal yesterday & are repeating the same in Balochistan today, no questions asked. Murder of Bhuttos, Bugti & several more is on their hands. 

Thousands have sacrificed for an end to military role but their sacrifices seem to have gone in vain as they again are staging comeback using anti-American bogey today. What a waste! (30 November, 20110

Benazir Bhutto’s Alleged Murder Plotter Joins PML-N, Shaikh Rasheed to Follow

By Aijaz Ahmed

Islamabad:  Pakistan Muslim League (N) proudly calls itself a principled party and claims it is against 'lotacracy' and that it always abides by the Charter of Democracy. It also uses the name of Benazir Bhutto whenever it’s leaders want the government to go on the back foot. However its double standards have been exposed as the same "principled" party has allowed an alleged plotter of Benazir Bhutto's murder and a close associate of military dictator Musharraf and the Choudhris of Gujrat to join PML-N.

It may be recalled here that Benazir Bhutto had sent an email in 2007 to her lobbyist in Washington, DC and a family friend, Mark Siegel, containing four names who according to her were plotting her murder according g to her own information. The then Director General IB Brigadier (retd) Ijaz Shah’s name was one of the four suspects nominated by BB herself.

Former IB chief, Brig. Ret. Ijaz Shah

BB’s suspicion of her murder plot was not baseless. She was indeed brutally martyred at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi on 27^th December 2007. Brigadier Ijaz shortly after the general elections in 2008 ran away from Pakistan and settled in Australia with the blessings of the man at the helm of affairs at that time and he was no other than Musharraf. As Ijaz Shah was also known as a close friend of PML-N’s arch rivals, the Choudhris of Gujrat, the party had started an aggressive campaign when PPP joined hands with the Q league. It had blamed PPP of selling out the murder of BB “Shaheed”.

The PML-N had vowed to take revenge from the murderers if and when it formed a government in the center. But all the claims, love and respect for BB has proved to be false and a mere political stunt as Ijaz Shah who returned to Lahore few weeks back after a secret settlement with Punjab government has formally joined PML-N few days back and signed the membership form of the party from Nankana Sahib, suburban town of Sheikhupura near Lahore and the place of birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion and a great fighter against state repression.

No word of sorry has been tendered by the “principled” PML-N leadership to the followers of BB most of whom had started believing in Nawaz Sharif after losing their faith in Asif Zardari. The reason given by PML-N for taking such people and members of Q league in the party ranks is most interesting. Senator Pervez Rasheed while giving his reaction to a question about the talks with Q league responded positively and uttered that “we will talk with everybody willing to join us against Zardari Raj”. ‘We are in contact with PML-Q and will accept anybody except the Choudhris of Gujrat. We want to isolate them in politics and will go to any extent’, he added.

  

The “principled” PML-N now seems to follow the policy of lotacracy which it talked against so much at one time to stop it’s arch rival PPP from gaining majority in the Senate in March next year. Sumera Malik, a close aide of Musharraf and a cause of confrontation between Chief Justice Iftikhar Choudhry and General Musharraf has now become very close to Mian Sahib. She is going to join PML-N despite being a member from PML-Q. She earlier tried to join PPP, but her relationship with Farooq Leghari did not prove very helpful.

Next in line is Sheikh Rasheed of Lal Haveli. He has established contacts with his former party and is all set to become a PML-N candidate from NA 55 in next general elections. He was the man who had categorically refused Begum Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif to support a pro Nawaz Movement after 12^th October, 1999 and had later joined Musharraf camp. He claimed himself to be a non-official spokesman of GHQ. One can imagine what will be the situation like when he will walk with Nawaz Sharif who claims to be an anti military dictatorship. But that is surely confined to a dictatorship that removed him from the Prime Minister House. Thus the proverb, that politics has no permanent foes or friend is proved true once again and lotacracy is in the vogue again.

Split in Sindh PPP Imminent; President Offers Aitzaz An Important Position, May Play Prominent Role in Future; Nawaz-Mirza under Pressure for Alliance; Fahmida Mirza Offers to Resign

Aitzaz May Play Prominent Role in Future; How Fasih Bokhari Was Nominated as Chairman NAB?

By Aijaz Ahmed

Islamabad: There seldom comes a cooling off interval in Pakistani politics - at least not these days. With every passing moment, the temperature gets higher and the hectic moves and counter moves by the stakeholders create more and more confusion. Amidst all that, the moves by one of the players, Zulfikar Mirza may soon result in split within his own party.

On his return from Malaysia, Zulfikar Mirza dropped another bombshell; he addressed a press conference along with the leaders of the Peoples Amn Committee and announced that following in the footsteps of Imran Khan, he would carry three suitcases to London, UK, filled with evidence against Altaf Hussain of MQM. The statement of Mirza created another storm in the troubled city of Karachi and prompted MQM demands for his arrest. The rampant political crisis is destined to lead towards a final showdown within the PPP ranks as well as between the PPP and its love-hate partner the MQM.

A group of PPP dissidents from Sindh is getting united with a resolve to fight against any effort for passing the proposed Local Government Ordinance, which was first introduced by military dictator Musharraf and then reintroduced by Babar Awan known as Mr. Tughral in the political circles of Islamabad.

The move is not only to oppose the local government ordinance bill, but the built in opposition to the government-MQM alliance is also coming to the fore. The group emerging around Mirza in Sindh will ultimately gain strength, and the people in the province having sympathies with PPP will by and large go with Mirza team, says a PPP leader from the political team of the president, Zardari.

The central leadership of the party is trying its best to control the damage caused by Mirza, but for the first time in the history of the party, it appears that all the efforts by the leadership are going in vain as dissent in the party is visibly increasing.

The game does not end there; rather another innings of the long and tiring game of politics is being started again, and the umpires of the game have become, as always, the main players of the innings now. There are clear indications that the behind-the-scene players who ‘encouraged’ Mirza to go up in the arms to such an extent where he put his relationship with the president at stake are trying to bring Mirza and Nawaz Sharif closer on some point of mutual interests and that is the opposition of MQM and elimination of corruption, sources in the power circle of Islamabad have revealed.

The anti Zardari policy of Nawaz Sharif and his PML-N is the main cause of concern for Mirza, the sources said, adding that the players are trying to evolve a mutually acceptable position in this regard.

The people and the forces who matter are hectically busy in hatching a deal between the two, but hard line taken by Mirza has been an impediment so far, sources claimed. Mirza does not want to take blame of stabbing in the back his closest friend and mentor, thus he has put some hard conditions. Mirza wants Nawaz Sharif to give up his go Zardari go policy, sources maintained. Mirza also wants Nawaz Sharif and the wheelers behind the move to agree to a mutually acceptable guarantee that his friend will be allowed to complete his present tenure and that if he gets elected as president again, he will be allowed to complete that tenure as well.

On the other hand interesting political developments are taking place in the federal capital. Khursheed Shah, whose residence was used last night by PPP dissidents in Karachi to host dinner for Mirza was enjoying president’s hospitality and was discussing matters related to Sindh. Earlier Dr. Fahmida Mirza, wife of Zulfikar Mirza and Speaker of the National Assembly had offered resignation from her office citing MQM’s nasty behavior, but President strongly rejected her offer, sources maintained. He asked madam speaker to continue as she happens to be the first woman speaker of Asia.

President not only confined himself to reject the resignation of the speaker, but also showed some positive gestures for Mirza. Rehman Malik and Babar Awan have been kept away from the presidency since last two days. Both Awan and Rehman Malik were not invited to the recent PPP Core Committee at Aiwan e Saddar.

It is also revealed that in the last three and half years there was no single incident where president did not consult with Mr. Awan on some important legal matters. It was after the new blast of Mr. Mirza that President did not take a legal opinion from Mr. Awan. Rather Farooq H Naik was consulted on legal and constitutional implication of Supreme Court decision on Karachi.

Another political development was dinner hosted for Aitzaz Ahsan by President after almost six months. Bushra Aitzaz was present in the dinner. Aitzaz was offered an important position but he declined. He is said to be interested to become next Chairman of Senate. It was Aitzaz Ahsan who suggested to the president to appoint Fasih Bokhari as Chairman NAB and the president within no time accepted his suggestion that gives indication of improving relations between the President and Mr. Aitzaz and people may see the legal wizard playing vital role in near future.

 

Mirza Under Fire; May be Arrested

By Aijaz Ahmed

Islamabad: The sayings that ‘there are no permanent friends or foes in politics’ and that the 'politics has no heart' have been proven true so many times in the history, specially in the recent history of Pakistan. The same is happening in Pakistan currently as erstwhile friends have turned into foes in the Zulfiqar Mirza case.

What if the party is weakened or if the government is considered as anti people? The party stalwarts don’t worry about that. The only problem they see today is Zulfiqar Mirza and they want to defeat him and stop any further damage from his revelations. It may sound unbelievable but the PPP leaders are trying to fix him up through the civilian and military intelligence agencies.

Mirza is one of the dearest friends of President Zardari, the fact that he has always mentioned prominently whenever he has spoken after August 28, and probably he is the only one for whom the president himself physically fought with some people in Hyderabad in his youth days; perhaps for this sole reason some PPP stalwarts had a grudge against Mirza and now they have got an opportunity to not only break this relationship, but also to settle their old scores with him. Some of the party stalwarts, against whom Mirza spoke with courage, have adopted the methodology, which is not rare, rather it is the old style of using intelligence agencies to settle the old scores.

The sources placed in high government ranks have revealed that the IB and some army intelligence agencies have been asked by federal interior minister Rehman Malik as also desired by few ministers from Sindh cabinet and some federal ministers, that the record of the licenses Mirza issued during his tenure as home minister of Sindh and his other activities particularly in Lyari and against the MQM must be provided so that they could seek permission from the president for a legal action against him.

The agencies, according to the sources have gathered some record, which reportedly suggests that Mirza had visited Panama during his recent visit to the United States. A report is also being prepared to conclude that Mirza was building a private militia with the help of Uzair Baloch of Peoples Amn Committee and some other PPP workers from Lyari. The latter has reportedly moved to Iran ever since the operation started. This information is yet to be confirmed as it was revealed by Rehman Malik and who will believe him after what Mirza said about him?

The agencies will not only prepare a report, but will recommend an action against Mirza on the basis of which legal proceedings will be initiated, sources maintained adding that an arrest of former home minister Sindh may not be ruled out as the present lot of the PPP stalwarts who are at helm of the affairs can go to any extent against a person like Mirza who not only damaged their position, but also made their future gloomy, and mind it ‘politics has no heart’ and there are no permanent foes or friends in the politics.    

Top Brass Strikes Deal With MQM; Supreme Court Conveyed Message

People Pinning Hope in Supreme Court & Chief Justice to be Disappointed; Judge Aspires to be Next President

IH Special Report

By Our Reporter

The people who have pinned hopes in the Supreme Court of Pakistan expecting a firm and specific action to end terrorism in Karachi may be in for a shock as the ‘forces that be’ in the country are said to have struck a ‘deal’ with MQM and have conveyed the message to the judicial quarters to go soft on the party that has been generally held responsible for most of the bloodshed & criminal activities in the city.

People who had already been disappointed in the provincial and federal governments and the country’s premier intelligence agencies for their failure to take concrete action against the terrorists in Karachi had high hopes and confidence in the Supreme Court and specially in the person of the Chief Justice of Pakistan. The SC and CJ were seen as the last hope to save the city, the main business, trade and commerce hub of the country. But as this correspondent has found out these hopes may never be fulfilled either.

MQM's India trained, confessed terrorist, murderer Ajmal Pahari

The proceedings in the Supreme Court’s Suo-motu notice on Karachi situation have been coming across as a horror movie. Remarks by the honorable judges have put the already fragile government under further pressure. MQM's India trained murderer Ajmal Pahari and his confessions of several murders and torture cases in front of a Joint Investigation Team are under discussion inside and outside the court. The ISI (Army’s main intelligence organization, Inter Services Intelligence) briefing to the Bench is also supposed to be taken seriously. Keeping these things in mind everybody specially those who consider themselves as ‘ foot-soldiers’ of the honorable Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry have been sure of a decision that would lead towards permanent solution of the Karachi issue, but alas it can be said with deep sense of sorrow and heavy heart, though with certainty that no such decision will come from the honorable court that could be considered against any particular party or banning the MQM as being demanded by ANP.

Although predicting a judgment and that too from the apex court could fall under the ambit of the contempt of the court, but revealing truth is such a sacred job for which every sentence can be accepted. The truth must also be revealed by the people inside the circle, which matters in real decision making in the country.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry

The Indus Herald investigations reveal that in his communiqués to the Rawalpindi, the most powerful judicial personality in the country has aspired for the post of the president after his retirement and for that purpose he has assured any possible support that he can provide even in his present capacity. Meanwhile he has also communicated with the MQM through middlemen that no decision in May 12 incident will be given against the party although the large number of people sacrificed their lives on that day at the hands of MQM for restoration of judges. Thus no further proceedings were held in Sindh High Court for more than two years; neither any court proceeded against NRO beneficiaries from MQM under the charges of even heinous crimes including murder, rape etc.

Pakistan's top brass; Corps Commanders hold a meeting

It is now revealed with full authority by the sources in the ‘forces that be’ that the top brass has struck a deal with MQM and it is duly conveyed to judicial quarters that despite the fact that concrete evidence against MQM is presented in the Supreme Court, no harsh decision like that of a ban on the party or declaring it as a terrorist outfit be taken. Reason given by the Khakis in this respect is that the MQM is a well-organized party with a large number of highly trained fighters armed with heavy weaponry and that it is in a position to gather thousands of workers on streets with lethal arms and ammunition and if that happened it may cause a disaster or even the break-up of Pakistan, sources maintained.

May 12, 2007, black day in Pakistan when MQM massacred people in Karachi to stop CJ from addressing the Bar Association

The sources are quite confident that although ISI held MQM 60% responsible for Karachi situation and all the other parties including the PPP, JI, all factions of PML, the Sunni Tehrik, ANP, Taliban, Peoples Aman Committee, different Mafias and groups, terrorist outfits of religious leanings, the Taliban, The Lashkar e Jhangvi and others 40% responsible, but the court will take a lenient view against MQM in view of the situation that can arise if a strong decision is announced. Indeed some of the MQM related terrorists will be held responsible, few of them may be awarded capital punishment by courts, but the party as whole will not be put in an embarrassing situation, they are confident. The sources further maintained that the Sindh and federal governments will be held responsible and they will have to face more embarrassment.

MQM according to the sources was quite under pressure after the press conference of former senior Sindh minister Zulfikar Mirza and was under more pressure since the suo-motu hearing and it was evident from the press conference of Altaf Hussain. The party and its head were clearly seen under heavy pressure throughout even the last week, but as the present week progresses, the party seems coming out of the pressure. The statements of different party workers and leaders are an evidence of the fact that the pressure is over and they have been conveyed that no harm will come to MQM as a party as it is a useable and reusable tool for the Establishment.

It is also said that the Choudhris of Gujrat were part and parcel of the deal and in return Moonis will get benefit in NILC case against him and will be a free citizen very soon.

This development is of real concern to the President, Prime Minister and the PPP elders, sources maintain. They feel helpless, as they have been given a deadline to resolve Karachi issue as revealed in earlier IH story. While President has lost a trusted friend like Zulfikar Mirza, it is seen as a matter of concern that the Establishment keeps providing its umbrella to an organization like MQM which is considered main responsible party for the Karachi situation and also that there is ample evidence available to declare it a terrorist organization. The dilemma forces PPP to loose its face but save its skin. In the present scenario, PPP can’t do any thing instead of making requests to MQM to rejoin the government. Sitting on the opposition seats do not suit MQM either for many reasons. The coming days will be a test for the government and other stakeholders, but will also be a real test for the Supreme Court. It will be interesting to see how it is going to save its reputation.

Army Gives Clear Deadline to Settle Karachi Issue

By Aijaz Ahmed

IH Exclusive Report

The cat seems to have finally come out of the bag after dilly-dallying and procrastination of about three months as military top brass has issued a clear cut deadline to the struggling and fragile political government both in the center and the province to settle Karachi issue by 30^th October, sources in the power corridors have revealed with complete confidence and authority.

Zardari-Kayani meeting, a file photo

This scribe saw fear on the faces of many in the ruling structure, and heard certain whispers in the parliament lobbies and pathways of other buildings on the power map of Islamabad ever since the military spokesperson issued a statement on Karachi issue in very awkward manner that put already weak government under further pressure. The fear appeared to have increased manifold the day Army Chief had a detailed meeting with president Asif Ali Zardari at the Capital Hill of Islamabad.

The follow up event, which was none other than the corps commanders’ meeting, was an additional factor due to its unusual end as no formal statement was issued against the normal practice for the last so many years. The footage issued by ISPR was also evident of the fact that the military top commanders were looking grim and worried over the situation of Karachi. The military hierarchy seemed to be under pressure more so as a large number of the common Pakistanis and almost all analysts of high stature consider army leadership responsible for the situation due to its clear-cut support for MQM, a creation of General Zia ul Haq.

Corps commanders' meeting, a file phot

 The latest deterioration in the situation in Karachi appeared to be due to the multiple factors with the political interests of MQM remaining at the top. The worsening situation has alarmed every one as the situation strengthened fears about the very survival of Pakistan. Many among the political forces, traders, and even liberal intellectuals who have been posturing neutrality are very much disappointed in the present political dispensation and have demanded the deployment of Army under Article 245 of the Constitution.

Only two rival political parties, PPP and PML-N were still resisting army action due to certain reasons. However army was looking reluctant to accept the responsibility, but at the later stage the thinking appeared to have changed and an indication of will was given by Army Chief himself few days back. In this scenario the army chief had a one to one meeting with the president. The insiders having close relations with both presidency and the GHQ are of the view that the army chief has conveyed sentiments of his colleagues in the army to the civilian government. Sources from both sides confided that the October 30th has been given as deadline with a clear-cut message that ‘if the situation does not improve and issues are not addressed then we will address Karachi issue in our own way’. The message, according to the sources, has spread fear among the top party leadership as this is not only a message for an action in Karachi, but also an indication of distrust over the competence and abilities of the civilian government to deal with the situations, sources maintained. The action will not remain confined to Karachi only, the government at center and the provinces will be sent back home was the actual message between the lines, sources added.

Delivery of the message to the president indicates another fact that the military leadership considered him an appropriate person for delivery of the message as he was the supreme commander of the armed forces and leader of the main ruling party. In other words they don’t have a faith in the prime minister!

President after the meeting has also took strong exception of the developing scenario and the message to Nawaz Sharif was in view of the said meeting, sources maintained adding that he also has conveyed to his party men to use all their abilities to eradicate the menace of terrorism, gang war and target killings from Karachi. His trip to London may be seen in the same light as he may hold a meeting there with the head of the government’s estranged coalition partner, MQM.

Resentment Against PPP's Policy Of Capitulation: "Potters’ Wares" by Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur

What is Zulfiqarabad? Who is it for? What is the reality of MQM? Reconciliation or capitulation? Sindh rises against PPP policies. Read on ...

Author

The terrorism perpetrated after Zulfiqar Mirza’s statement left a trail of destruction in its wake because the call to teach him a lesson resulted in a score killed and properties and vehicles destroyed. This carnage was one of the sequels of the May 12 incident 

 Watayo Faqir is to Sindh what Mullah Naseerudin is to Turkey, Afghanistan and Central Asia. Once someone informed Watayo that his mother had gone crazy and was writhing in the dust in the city centre; knowing his mother acted oddly at times he was nonetheless surprised. Reaching home he inquired; she replied that having seen a rupee coin in the path and thinking that if she picks it up someone would claim it, the best way was to act crazy and pocket it without anyone suspecting. Watayo said, “I knew my mother would not be all that crazy without a very good reason.”

What the PPP leadership terms as the policy of reconciliation is in fact a policy of capitulation for preserving their narrow personal short-term interests and has nothing to do with the welfare or benefit of the people in general and Sindhis in particular. But then nothing better can be expected from people whose politics are based on self-interest.

National interest and preservation of democracy is mendaciously bandied about as the reason behind the vacillations, oscillations, dithering and capitulation of the PPP, which would shame even the most brazen politician of any country, to appease the MQM. The sole purpose behind these brazen transmogrifications is the self-interest of the elite of these two parties who do not even bother to ask their colleagues’ opinions. Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Taj Haider and Nabeel Gabol have come out openly against this ludicrous pantomime. Naturally, no one from the MQM wants to end up in a gunny bag so there has not been a squeak from anyone; any way why would the victors complain?

The resentment amongst the people of Sindh is palpable and their anger at the PPP’s capitulation was expressed by the success of the strike called by the nationalist parties on August 8. Even PPP members have taken to the streets against the latest capitulation. This pusillanimous and chronic backtracking has made them an object of ridicule and derision for common people because those who forge and implement these preposterous decisions live in inaccessible mansions away from the grubby masses. This habitual volte-face along with the carefree attitude towards the views and problems of workers is isolating the PPP from whatever support that has survived.

The MQM is a different entity; it is ruled from London and only absolute submission is the rule — dissenters are meted out horrible punishments. It is a party that is based on terror, oiled by terror and thrives on terror. This is how this organisation is run and there is no other way for its survival. A quote by George MacDonald (1824-1905), a Scottish poet and author, fits to a T all fascist organisations and individuals. He says, “A beast does not know that he is a beast, and the nearer a man gets to being a beast, the less he knows it.”

The terrorism perpetrated after Zulfiqar Mirza’s statement left a trail of destruction in its wake because the call to teach him a lesson resulted in a score killed and properties and vehicles destroyed. This carnage was one of the sequels of the May 12 incident; there have been quite a few follow up episodes of that successful run of the show by the MQM during the Musharraf era. Oddly, no one is ready to blame the real culprits in Karachi.

The much flaunted powerbase and mandate have been acquired by sowing terror. All elections are massively rigged and manipulated and all parties practice it in places where they can cow the election staff. The MQM always boasts of a mind-boggling number of votes cast in their constituencies and this they do through fraudulently stuffing ballot boxes. The number of votes that the MQM claims cannot physically be cast in the limited time period and the cumbersome procedure that is required to cast a single vote. This rigging is done to lay claim to being the majority’s representative. This comes in handy to intimidate others into submission through threats. A heavy and unhindered presence of international observers during the elections could expose this mandate farce any day.

In Karachi, the mafias of warlords — that is what all the political overlords there are — rule the roost and little wonder that the violence is expanding and becoming more vicious because it is the cannon fodder that is being killed while the godfathers are safe and sound in their sanctuaries in London and Islamabad. Karachi is dying a slow death due to the insatiable greed of warlords and the ineptness of the governments.

This backtracking and appeasing different warlords for retaining their right to rule to continue plundering is driving nail after nail into the coffin of the rights of the indigenous Sindhis. Ironically the PPP, which claims to represent Sindh, is not only providing ample nails but is helping in driving them deep into the coffin bequeathed to them by Musharraf and have proved more assiduous in the task of burying the rights of indigenous Sindhis for good.

The PPP government, not content with disenfranchising the indigenous Sindhis in the major cities of Sindh by appeasing and giving the MQM all the clout to prosper, has now initiated plans for the new real estate bonanza for its cronies in the name of Zulfiqarabad in the Thatta region. This will bring about irreversible demographic changes, which will condemn Sindhis to relegation to a minority in their own land. This is how the PPP has exacted the ‘best revenge’ against the indigenous population in Sindh.

My friend Shahab Usto, who sometimes writes in these pages, wrote to me that he wished there were a leader of Aung San Suu Kyi’s calibre to lead us out of this dark era. I replied with a couplet of Hafiz Shirazi:

“Gohar-e-Jâm-e-Jam Az Kaan-e-Jahan-e-Digar Ast,

Tu Tammana Za Gill-e-Koozah Garran Mee Daari.

(Tis was a pearl of another universe, the Jâm-e-Jam,

A folly to expect potters’ wares to be the Jâm-e-Jam.)

A little elaboration of legend will help. Jamshid the Persian Emperor had the Jâm-e Jam, which was a magical seven-ringed cup filled with the elixir of immortality and allowed him to observe the universe. Aung San Suu Kyi is the ‘Jâm-e-Jam’ and ‘potters’ wares’ our lot; little wonder we are where we are. Those obsessed with accumulating pelf cannot be expected to do any good for the people.

The writer has an association with the Baloch rights movement going back to the early 1970s. He can be contacted at mmatalpur@gmail.com

Courtesy: daily Times, August 14, 2011

Back Door Diplomacy Between PPP-PML-N Begins! Nawaz Wants Foreign Guarantees if a Deal is Struck!

By Aijaz Ahmed

Islamabad:  Pakistan is an unbelievable place where anything, even something beyond one’s wildest imaginations is possible, but the political arena of the country plays wonders beyond anyone’s comprehension. The politics of Pakistan throughout history has proved to be a game in which many impossible tasks have been made possible. 

Indeed no politician closes his or her doors ever, but in a scenario where biggest opposition party apparently closed all venues for the government and seemed busy in making a grand alliance to achieve a goal of toppling the sitting government, it looks impossible that it would begin back door contacts with that very targeted opponent. However, the wonder happens again in the country’s politics and an indirect contact between the leader of the opposition party, the PML-N and President Zardari has been established, sources in the political circles have confirmed.

Measurable progress has been achieved in the indirect contacts between the two arch rival parties, sources claimed adding that this time no formal agreement will be signed if any understanding is reached.

Sources claimed that when all venues were closed, death of Mr. Hakim Ali Zardari provided a chance for ice breaking, and then the presidency made sizable progress through one of its stalwarts.

Farhatullah Babar

Farrhatullah Babar, spokesman of the president was main source for the reinstatement of the contact, sources maintained. He was the one who delivered messages of the president till he left for England last week.  However, he is not alone as few non political but common friends of both the President and Mian Nawaz Sharif, one of whom lives in England and the other in UAE, intervened during the recent days and brought the initial contacts forward, sources claim.

MNS still has faith in Farhatullah Babar as he is known as a man of principles and happened to be a close confidant of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed. He was also among those who finalized Charter of Democracy during the good old days when BB and MNS were staying at London in 2007.

FB commands respect even among PLM-N hawks and thus he succeeded in making some progress from PPP side, while Ishaq Dar and Khwaja Asif were the main people from PML-N side who despite losing opposition leader’s elections in the Senate helped the gray haired senior from PPP side, sources observe.

MNS is reported to have put some conditions for future cooperation, and survival of the current Punjab government is not included in his conditions, sources maintain; perhaps for the reason that the security of the Punjab and central government will automatically come in as a result of the dialogue.

MNS intends a totally trustworthy caretaker set up whenever the President announces a general election. He has asked for an equal share in the caretaker set up, and names will be given at later stage when the formula will be agreed, sources said adding that the next demand made by MNS is no further move on Siraiki province by PPP.

The MNS clearly demands that PPP will not make Siraiki province an issue during the next election campaign as it irritates his constituency in the country, and also may damage his traditional seats in the Siraiki belt, sources observe.

The next condition is subject to an agreement between the two arch rival parties and that is about NA seats in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, beside consensus on some Senate Seats, sources maintain.

Although the discussion is at initial stage, but rapid development is expected as both PPP and PML-N have no time to lose. President wants an early settlement in the wake of coming general elections and Nawaz is also mounting pressure on the government for the same reason.

PML-N and other opposition parties do not want PPP to get two third majority in the Upper House of the Parliament in coming elections, thus the later is mounting pressure and moving fast with calculated moves. The PPP on the other hand feels under pressure and clearly felt shaky as it has strong impression that the grand alliance move has some intelligence backing, thus is trying to develop political understanding with major opposition party.

Although removal of Punjab government is still on cards, everybody takes this new move as a legitimate political initiative sources said but PML-N certainly eyes next elections. The party has no significant presence in KPK, has no seat from Sindh and won only one Pakhtoon seat from Balochistan. The second seat of former Governor and corps commander Lt. General Abdul Qadir was won later as Election Commission had declared him elected as an independent member and then he had joined PML-N.

MNS seriously feels that few seats were lost in all three provinces because of PPP and thus he is making demand for cooperation on these seats so as the stature of a national party is restored.

The most important part of the parlays will be the guarantees, and MNS wants no formal agreement like the previous ones, but he demands foreign guarantors so as Asif Zardari could not break his promise.

Although the discussion is at early stage, an understanding is expected between the two main rival parties as it is the only way that will enable both PPP and PML-N to complete their tenures in the governments, sources maintain. 

Govt Prepares For Post-MQM Scenario: Suddle, Mirza May Get Top Slots

By Aijaz Ahmed

It is believed that the central government has prepared ‘Plan B’ to deal with any eventuality in case MQM finally refuses to rejoin the coalition and creates any law and order situation. The sources say that the government may resort to strong action, which may be contrary to the so far soft image of President Asif Zardari as the PPP may be losing patience with the ‘my way or highway’ attitude of the relatively immature ex-coalition party.

Teasers are already being sent to MQM, but at the same time, efforts to bring the ex-coalition partner back to the government’s fold are also underway, sources reveal. ‘Indeed Plan 'A' is to bring MQM back in the government’, sources told IH. Ch. Shujaat Hussain, Rehman Malik, and some common friends from UK are assigned the task.

The first priority to bring MQM back in the fold is mainly for two reasons, say insiders in the power corridors. The first reason is very obvious that government wants to avoid any confrontation and thus did not want to create an image that the leading party in the ruling coalition does not have ability to resolve the differences and thus unable to maintain relations with coalition partners.

Second reason is more interesting and strong according to the sources: the leadership of the ruling coalition according to the sources was astonished at the way the PML-N and MQM came closer, and the reaction of Imran Khan and other opposition forces. The inclusion of MQM in the opposition with PML-N and other parties may result in creation of stronger and vibrant opposition.

Grand opposition of PML-N, JUI-F, Jamaat i Islami, PTI, the Sindhi Nationalists and MQM embedded with a section of intelligence agencies can pose threats to the very survival of the elected government and also can assert more pressure on the President. The government - judiciary relations strengthen the view that all may not be well for PPP, Mr. Zardari and his allies if the grand opposition is allowed to come into existence, sources maintain.

There are also clear indications that a section of the intelligence agencies influenced by Hameed Gul mindset is providing some backing to Imran Khan and partly to PML-N as well, and this may lead towards disastrous end to the present set up.

MQM may be offered the seat of deputy speaker in the AJK Assembly along with a slot of advisor in AJK government. These offers will be apart from some concessions the party may be offered in Sindh once again. The MQM, according to the sources, intends to get some of its workers released, closure of few investigations and withdrawal of PPP’s stand on Municipal system in Karachi. The PPP wants to return to the previous system and remove existing 18 towns and restore commissionerate system in Karachi, Hyderabad and rest of Sindh, sources maintain.

Although the hopes of MQM’s return in the government's folds are very slim as according to the assessment of PPP hawks, Altaf Hussain and his party intends to make political inroads in Punjab, Pakhtoonkhwa and Kashmir and to get better results it has to be out of the government, adopt ‘Majha’ (macho) style of politics in Punjab and adopt harsh tone against policies disliked by the people.

Thus the PPP and PML-Q are chalking out the plan B. Functional League, The National peoples Party and few leaders of ‘Hamkhyal’ (like-minded) League are being approached and some new faces from all these forces may be included in the Sindh Cabinet if Ch Shujaat and Rehman Malik failed to get favorable results. However it may take more than 6 weeks.

Sindh Interior Minister 'On Leave", Zulfikar Mirza

 The most important part of the Plan will be the top slots in Sindh. The name of Zulfikar Mirza is being mentioned for the position of CM and everybody is talking about his new role in Karachi and Islamabad. 

Ex-police official, Shoaib Suddle

However the name of the new Governor of Sindh could be a surprise. Although Faisal Raza Abidi is being tipped as new Governor of Sindh for very obvious reasons, in the final count down he may not be the ultimate choice. Although he has abilities to give tough time to his arch rivals in Karachi and MQM, the man who can win the confidence of both the President and the Military Establishment, which is a settled norm when a governor is appointed, former police official Mr. Shoaib Suddle may be the elevated to the job. Mr. Suddle has a background of a successful action against terrorists in Karachi, majority of them was believed to be associated with MQM. He is also known to be honest and impartial but believed to have some grudges against MQM. He is also supposed to be close to the president.

Former IB Chief Mr. Masood Sharif could have been a natural choice for the post but he developed some differences with the president because of Rehman Malik sources said adding that Appointment of Mr. Wajid Durrani as IG Sindh Police is a clear indication in this regard. The Police and Rangers have been asked to mark people from MQM who according to the reports could make trouble in Karachi, but this time a direct action will be avoided only targeted action will be taken and only against all trouble making elements, but elements believed to have MQM connections will be on top of the list for which preparations are being made.

The party sources also maintain that the leadership wants a strong man in the Governor House Karachi having different background from CM Sindh, most probably from the Urdu speaking community, as has been the norm. Any other name may also come up in the race, but Mr. Saddle is the strongest contender for the slot at the moment, sources believe.