ISLAMABAD, Dec 22: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement nominee for the office of Sindh governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad, arrived here in the early hours of Sunday. He was given official protocol and was driven straight to the governor’s annexe in the Sindh House.
Dr Ishratul Ibad avoided to face the press but sources in the Muttahida Qaumi Movement claimed that he was expected to meet President Pervez Musharraf on Monday in order to get a formal nod for appointment as the next governor of Sindh.
Earlier, in his interview to a London-based TV network at London Airport, the MQM leader described his return as the first phase of the confidence-building process which could culminate in the return of the party chief Altaf Hussain. However, he said a final decision in this respect would be taken by the MQM coordination committee in the light of people’s aspirations.
Responding to a question about recent terrorist strikes in Karachi, he said: “We support the international campaign against terrorism and will take all actions according to the law.”
To a query about the cases registered against his party workers over the last few years, he said: “All these cases will be reviewed and injustices will be removed.”
When asked why his party surrendered its right to the office of chief minister and instead chose governorship, Dr Ishratul Ibad, who is also convener of the MQM coordination committee, said: “The decision in this regard was taken in the larger interest of the country and democracy.” As far as the Mohajir community’s right to chief ministership was concerned, he said, all citizens had equal rights.
Sources said Dr Ishratul Ibad was most likely to be sworn in as the Sindh governor in the next couple of days.
Earlier, Dr Ishratul Ibad arrived at the Islamabad Airport by PIA flight PK-786 at 6.20am. He was accompanied by the Muttahida’s deputy convener Aftab Shaikh. Senior leaders of the party, including Dr Farooq Sattar, Nasreen Jalil and Shaikh Liaquat, were present at the airport to receive the MQM leaders.
A sizable number of Muttahida MNAs, including women legislators, were also present to welcome their leader who returned home after nine years.
Aftab Shaikh, it may be mentioned, has been reinstated by Altaf Hussain only a couple of days ago. Aftab Shaikh was suspended from the party’s senior post a month back on charges of working against the party interests.
An official car from the Sindh House’s protocol was sent to the airport to take Dr Ishrat to his abode in Islamabad till he is invited by the president for a formal meeting.
Talking to Dawn, Nasreen Jalil said that Dr Ishratul Ibad was avoiding to talk to the press till a notification of his appointment as governor was issued and he held meetings with the president and the prime minister.
Dr Ishratul Ibad had left the country in 1993 in the aftermath of a massive crackdown on the MQM workers and since then remained in exile in London.
Earlier, there was a confusion over Dr Ibad’s arrival and his appointment as the Sindh governor amid reports that a certain group in the ruling hierarchy was opposed to his appointment in view of various cases that were pending against him in courts.
However, Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat and Chief Minister Sindh Ali Mohammad Mahar said in recent days that there were no serious cases against the MQM leader.
