KARACHI, July 13: The two successive meetings between Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad this week have failed to produce any positive result but analysts rule out any threat to present provincial set up despite the rift that continues to hound the ruling coalition.
The chief minister, who has recently survived differences with Muttahida Qaumi Movement is now caught in political bickering with other coalition partners.
Apparently to the advantage of MQM, several advisers/ministers have teamed up against Dr Arbab. The new rebels belong to PML-Q, PML-F and PPP-Patriot.
In a House of 168, the division of the Sindh Assembly members is 57 PPP, 42 MQM, 38 PML-Q, 15 PML-F, eight MMA, five PPP-Patriot and one MQM-H. The PML-Q has further splits as Maher and Imtiaz Sheikh groups have seven members each as against 24 making the Arbab group, which also has a number of rebels like Jatoi, Malkani, Bijarani, Unnar, and (Murad Ali) Shah in its fold.
The MQM has long been expressing its reservations over the handling of affairs by the chief minister. The difference between the Arbab group and MQM came to surface in May last when both the sides rushed to Islamabad for some sort of mediation or change.
President Musharraf’s trouble shooter Tariq Aziz, Secretary of the National Security Council, somehow succeeded in convincing them to maintain the present arrangement but there are no signs of the differences having been narrowed down. Apart from this, the rebellion within his party now is a serious challenge to Dr Arbab.
Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, who had been sacked by Dr Arbab as revenue minister, has emerged as his arch rival and is believed to be spearheading the revolt taking along the other coalition groups, PML-F and PPP-Patriot. He has held two lengthy sessions with the governor this week whereas the chief minister, accompanied by his close confident Senator Ghaffar Qureshi, has also held two long meetings with the governor.
The rebels, according to insiders, had drawn the governor’s attention of the governor to the chief minister’s working style, his uncalled for remarks about his own colleagues and his interference in their departments. They told the governor that in such a situation, they could no more go along with him.
They requested the governor to convey their grievances to Islamabad and arrange their meeting with the president and prime minister.
At the meeting, the rebel group comprising Imtiaz Shaikh, Sardar Manzoor Panhwar, Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashdi, Syed Ali Bux Shah alias Pappu Shah and Altaf Unnar, gave the back ground of violation of commitments by the chief minister.
Dr Arbab had though earned the displeasure of many for his alleged autocratic style, but analysts are surprised to see Syed Ali Bux Shah, Minister for Population Welfare, with whom Dr Arbab had made fences only recently, sitting with the rebels.
The reason for his getting annoyed is stated to be the extension in service granted by the chief minister to the secretary population without consulting the minister, as well as transfer of a number of district officers in a same manner.
Pir Sadruddin Shah, Minister for Works and Services, who had convinced Pappu Shah to support Dr Arbab, was present in both the meetings with the governor when the rebel group and the chief minister met him separately. Sources close to him said that he too had his own grievances due to intervention in his department and delay in the approval of summaries.
Sardar Manzoor Ahmad Panhwar, Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs, has also accused Dr Arbab of working against his group by seducing his partymen into PML-Q fold.
Altaf Unnar, who is a minister without portfolio, pointed out that he had returned to the assembly after defeating a PPP candidate in Larkana, but he was neither given any department nor being taken into confidence in transfer and postings of officers in his constituency.
Imtiaz Shaikh recalled that he had reconciled with the chief minister on the advice of Senate Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro, but the agreement reached on the occasion had not yet been implemented. However, a recent surprise visit by the chief minister to the education department in Tughlaq House became an immediate cause of the rebel group’s move to take up their grievances against the chief minister.
During the visit, the chief minister was noted for his discourteous behaviour with Education Minister Dr Hameeda Khuhro.
Sources close to the Chief Minister’s House said during the meeting with the Governor, when his attention was drawn to the grievances of his cabinet colleagues, the chief minister maintained that the group or minister had never taken up the issues with him. However, he said, he was ready to look into their problems, if any.
The PML-Q Secretary General Senator Mushahid Hussain, who is scheduled to arrive here on Friday, is likely to make attempts to narrow down the differences between the chief minister and the coalition partners. But analysts are pessimistic about any positive outcome of the meeting between Mushahid Hussain and the rebel group as the latter believes that matter can be sorted out only at the highest level of authority.
