KARACHI: Hectic efforts on to end rifts within PML-Q
By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, July 14: In a renewed effort to narrow down differences among leaders of the ruling coalition parties in Sindh, PML-Q Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayied shuttled between power centres here on Friday.
Mr Mushahid, who arrived here in the noon spent a hectic evening holding meetings with ‘new rebels’ within the PML-Q who had recently developed differences with Chief Minister Dr Arbab Rahim. Till the filling this report, Mr Hussain was busy in his meetings.
Besides calling on PML-F chief Pir Pagara, on his way from airport to the CM’s House, Mr Hussain met some of the estranged PML-Q leaders. In between, he called on Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad along with Dr Arbab. They remained together from 4pm to around 5pm.
According to informed sources, the current political turmoil in Sindh figured high in all these meetings.
Later, Mr Hussain met estranged PML-Q leader Maqbool Ahmad Sheikh, as well as Syed Murad Ali Shah, at the CM’s House annexe where he was staying. They were also later joined in by the chief minister. During their hour-long meeting, Mr Sheikh complained that the agreement, brokered by Senate Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro, between them and the chief minister some two months back was yet to be implemented, insiders confided to Dawn.“If the chief minister honours his commitment and implements the agreement on the withdrawal of cases against them, they would no more have a grudge against him,” they were quoted as telling Mr Hussain.
Sources said Mr Hussain had held out the assurance on behalf of the chief minister that their grievances would be resolved within this month.
Syed Murad Ali Shah took up the problems pertaining to his constituency with Mr Hussain. The problems appeared more related to Murtaza Jatoi, Adviser to the Chief Minister. Mr Hussain assured him that he would look into his grievances and see if the same could be removed. He also asked his secretary to invite Murtaza Jatoi to the CM’s House.
Pappu Shah, who was waiting for Mr Hussain at the CM’s House since 4 pm, got a chance to meet him after 7pm. But their meeting did not last more than a few minutes, insiders said.
Mushahid Hussain was also scheduled to meet the sacked revenue minister and ex-provincial general secretary of the PML Imtiaz Ahmad Sheikh later in the night at an unspecified place as the later had declined to hold such a meeting at the CM’s House owing to his sharp differences with Dr Arbab.
According to the sources, Iqbal Dar, Additional Secretary General of the Party, who is also in the city, was supposed to take Mr Sheikh to the meeting place. Mr Sheikh would be convinced to play an active role in the party by shunning his differences with the chief minister, the sources said.
Talking to a group of electronic media representatives, Mr Hussain said it was not unusual for a major, strong and stable party to have differences among its leaders. “But, what matters is that they all have faith in the leadership of the party, as well as the government and President Musharraf,” he maintained.
He was of the view that the Arbab government was stable and strong and the differences among the party leaders would be narrowed down. He hoped that all the rumours would die down very soon.
