Dally-dallying in Sindh politics

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Hardly a month before the fresh elections, the MQM made a tactic move of parting ways with the Pakistan People’s Party. The move enabled the former coalition partners—MQM & PPP—to grab the two important slots of the Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly. The separation, analysts believe, was scripted to maintain a firm grip on the provincial politics with ‘both hands’, avoiding the involvement of any other political party from the interior Sindh. But the situation has become a harsh reality. The MQM decision to part ways and sit on the Opposition benches in the Sindh Assembly provided a good opportunity to the PPP to soothe frustration and bitter feelings prevailing in the interior Sindh, which is considered to be the hub of the PPP. The rulers pounced at the opportunity to reverse the controversial ‘Sindh People’s Local Government Act, 2012—an act the people from the interior Sindh earlier resisted. Obviously, the MQM is annoyed and its anger that has gone unnoticed. On Friday Acting Governor Sindh, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro signed the Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO), 1979, said to be with the governor’s assent, restoring the old Commissionerate System throughout the province. Interestingly, this time around, the MQM in the National Assembly blamed the Pakistan People’s Party for creating a gulf between Urban and Rural population, saying all those living in Sindh are brothers to one another, the PPP had indulged in ethnic based politics. The MQM MNA Asif Husnain praised the Musharraf-made local government system protected under the Article 184 of the Constitution though the MQM criminally ignored the execution of the said article with the help of its coalition partner PPP for nearly five years. Though needless to remind yet it is pertinent to mention here that the PPP-MQM coalition partners, through the Sindh People’s Local Government Ordinance 2012, played a dangerous game of dividing the province to serve their political interests; the MQM wanted to maintain its hold on Karachi and Hyderabad, leaving the interior Sindh comprising 18 districts under the Commissionerate System for the PPP to cash in on Bhutto sentiments existing there. In the process, discontent and reservations of the opposition parties left unaccounted for. Now the U-turn taken by the clever PPP leadership has left the MQM sulking. If the PPP sticks to its decision it may dent the MQM dominance in the forthcoming elections. The PPP government is known for follies and retreats who knows what they have in store to appease the MQM. It would be a little wonder if PPP undertakes another summersault to bring the SPLGO 2012 one way or the other. Until then the MQM must be having sleepless nights for losing the leverage that it extracted with the introduction of the SPLGO 2012. The reintroduction of the Local Bodies Act 1979 has, to a larger extent, given the political advantage back to the PPP that won a majority in the Sindh in the previous election. For the time being, the PPP has saved itself from brunt of the Sindh nationalists under the leadership of Pir Pagaro in the interior Sindh. The latest move has stemmed anti-PPP tide yet all is not well. The people do understand the political intent of both the parties, and given the services the coalition government delivered to the people of Sindh , the PPP-backed candidates will come under the hammering in the next election from anti-PPP lobby banking on third option—be it is Imran Khan or Nawaz Sharif—has been taken out. At least, Zardari can no longer be labeled as ant-Sindh ruler. Lethargic PPP rule in last five years and interest-based policy-making by the regime particularly dally-dallying between the PPP and the MQM is a cruel joke to the people of Sindh. The MQM’s sole walk-out from the National Assembly, if at all is an indication, reflects that the party stands isolated. No other member of the House bothered to come to the MQM rescue rather its protest was given cold shoulder hence the chances are the MQM from hereon is going to take a solo flight in the up and coming elections until PML-N or Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf undergoes a change of heart to extend olive branch to the MQM. Otherwise, Karachi turf suits the PPP to swing the situation around to its advantage. However, MQM leader and Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad has gone off to London to seek fresh guidance from his chief on the emerging political scenario that looks difficult for the MQM to control restive Karachi on its own. He may have a surprise to spring when he comes.