Karachi Political Diary

 Karachi Political Diary

Mubasher Mir

 

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari criticized Mian Nawaz Sharif while speaking in Quetta, Chairman PPP is constantly addressing the former prime minister with critical sentences, but there is not much talk from the Muslim League-N camp. Although some former ministers are responding in one way or another, Mian Shahbaz Sharif or Maryam Nawaz are not criticizing Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. In general, the Muslim League-N and the People's Party are trying to give the impression that they are the real rivals in the field by using rhetoric against each other. But this impression did not fully take hold. The third force, Tehreek-e-Insaf, which ruled for three and a half years and is now at its worst, is still under scrutiny. But since the election of the new PTI chairman, the PTI has not taken an aggressive approach. There is an impression that PTI will get a chance to participate in the elections. But it will be difficult to conduct the election campaign in a vigorous manner, in such a situation PTI candidates will depend on social media and try to give better performance on the election day.

MQM seems to be completely ambiguous, they raise slogans against the oppressive ruler, but so far they have not been able to clarify who they consider to be the oppressor. In the last two governments, they have been a co-ruler. Therefore, they have not yet been able to give a clear message to their voters. Their meetings with PML-N are taking place regarding seat adjustment. The Muslim League-N wants its leaders Mian Nawaz Sharif, Mian Shahbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz to contest the elections from Karachi and they are demanding the help of MQM in such seats that they can win. Till now there has been no contact between PML-N and PPP. PML-N is reluctant to do so. PML-N Sindh President Bashir Memon surely knows that he will not be able to get popular support by allying with the People's Party in Sindh.

 

Although many things have been revealed about the political framework of Sindh and Karachi, many things remain unclear. Muslim League-F leader Safdar Abbasi has criticized the election commission's process of changes in constituencies and changes in voter lists. One wonders how the Election Commission is authorized to transfer the vote of any citizen to another constituency without his will. According to Safdar Abbasi, the Election Commission is doing this at the behest of Asif Zardari. Such a situation is being termed as pre-poll rigging.

The constitutional term of caretaker governments has expired across Pakistan. Sindh's caretaker chief minister, however, has added a minister to his cabinet. Arts Council Karachi president Muhammad Ahmad Shah has been made caretaker minister for information, minority affairs and social protection. It is surprising that the wise and intellectual poet like Iftikhar Arif also participated in this style of political process by participating in the swearing-in ceremony. The opposition group of the Arts Council had issued a message while reacting to the announcement of the Caretaker Chief Minister of Sindh that the constitutional term of your government has been completed. In this situation, NAB started an investigation against the person in 2015 , on which no final decision you are adding to the has come out yet , in caretaker cabinet . According to informed sources, this appointment has also been supported by the Governor of Sindh.

The Istehqam Pakistan Party, Ipp, is also trying to gain a foothold in Sindh. The leader of the IPP, the former Governor of Sindh Imran Ismail and the President of Sindh Mahmood Maulvi have also criticized the changes in constituencies by the Election Commission. Pirpagada has also mobilized before the elections. Former Sindh Chief Minister Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim along with his son and colleagues participated in their recent meeting. Earlier, former Sindh Chief Minister had joined Tehreek-e-Insaaf. So far no announcement has come from his side to join GDA.

Haleem Adil Sheikh has been elected Sindh President unopposed in the intra-party election held by Tehreek-e-Insaf. This was the way for Tehreek-e-Insaf to hold the election as soon as possible to elect their candidates unopposed so that the mark of the BAT could be saved. The caretaker chief minister of Sindh met the World Bank delegation and discussed the ongoing projects in Sindh. There are many projects under completion in Sindh province by the World Bank, on which work is in progress. The World Bank has been told that the ongoing projects will continue at the same pace and reach completion.

There is a lot of concern regarding the use of official vehicles in the province of Sindh. People not only use government vehicles but also spend petrol from government exchequer. The caretaker government has announced to take back the vehicles from the outgoing ministers and MPA's. How surprising that politicians are brazenly using government vehicles even though they have no mandate for this facility at present. The tendency to waste Pakistan's resources is high among the influential classes, which is a burden on the people.