Order Of The Day: Join Imran Khan!

اڄ جو حڪم: هڪدم تحريڪِ انصاف ۾ شامل ٿيو

فرمانِ امروز: تحریکِ انصاف میں شامل ہو جائو

Order Of The Day: Join Imran Khan!

See how things change in Pakistan! It is really amazing! As if someone is pulling strings from somewhere! A few days back, Javed Hashmi spoke in Larkana from the platform of PML-N in the presence of his erstwhile leader, Mian Nawaz Sharif & outlined PML-N program vociferously. And today he has joined PTI & has left Multan for Karachi to join his new Leader, Imran Khan. Just like that!

The way politicians are joining PTI, the time is not too far away when Babar Awan, Rehman malik, Gilani, Ch Nisar Ali, Ch Shahbaz, Ch Shujaat, Altaf & of course Asif zardari & Nawaz Sharif will join the Khan too!

So who will be left behind from among the great Pakistani POLITICIANS? Hameed Gul, Musharraf, Kayani, Pasha & some other serving & retired generals? Well, you may never know. They may already be in it.

27th December: Get Ready For Another Zardari-Rehman Malik Drama

27^th December is almost upon us. Get ready for another Zardari-Rehman Malik drama about “catching” & “punishing” the “killers of Shaheed BB”. It is about 4 years since the PPP chairperson was assassinated in Pak Army town, Rawalpindi. Her party, led by her widower & son, has been in power for 3 years & 9 months since then. First they delayed any meaningful investigation in the name of UN probe. When UN commission submitted its report, they rejected it & refused to act on it. Then they said they would hold their own inquiry. Now their hand-maiden report is ready since more than a year but they won’t publish or disclose it in full. Last year, they delayed the arrival of the 'son' in Garhi Khuda Bux for a day & issued an statement afterwards that since he couldn't attend the party CEC meeting, the report could not be announced on BB’s 3^rd death anniversary.

In between, they have not shown any seriousness to go after the killers. Instead they have been seen as an impediment in the case being heard in a Rawalpindi court. They have transferred, harassed or offered no cooperation to the public prosecutor & the judge. They haven’t done a thing to oblige the court order to bring ex-military dictator Musharraf to the country to appear before the court, as he is the main accused. What new drama this year? Wait & see! 27th December is not too far away.

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.    

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.