ISLAMABAD: Amid lingering ambiguity over the future of Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, the Muttahi Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has said it will have no reason to be part of the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif if it is one-sided. the said constitutional function is decided.
“Sindh governor belongs to MQM-P. It was decided [in meetings] with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that Tessori will remain as governor,” said senior MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar.
The Karachi-based party’s warning comes as sources told Geo News last week that the PML-N-led federal government had agreed with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which rules Sindh, to replace Tessori with former leader and ex-Federal Investigation Agency chief (FIA) Bashir Memon.
However, MQM-P did not like these rumors as Tessori doubled down on those spreading such news and said that he enjoys the confidence of Prime Minister Shehbaz, President Asif Ali Zardari and his own party and will continue to serve the people as long as he is in function.
Meanwhile, Sattar outright denied the rumours, saying, “No one has spoken to us and no consultation has taken place.”
The views of the former mayor of Karachi were echoed by his colleague Khajawa Izharul Hassan, who also rejected the potential removal of Tessori, citing the social contract that provided for the representation of urban areas of the province through a governor while the chief minister belonged to rural areas.
However, while presenting the Centre’s stand on the matter, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said that a decision on the issue of Sindh Governor’s post is expected soon.
However, he refuted reports suggesting the appointment of a PML-N memo to the said post.
Notably, the MQM-P played a key role in toppling the Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government after it decided to break with the government in support of the Pakistan Democracy Movement’s (PDM) no-confidence vote against then Prime Minister Imran Khan in April 2022.
The party led by Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui was subsequently part of the PDM government. After the February 8 polls, where no party managed to get a simple majority in the National Assembly, the PML-N was once again lured to join them at the Centre.
The MQM-P, which currently has 21 seats in the lower house of parliament – 17 general and four reserved – is a key ally of the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz, whose future hangs in the delicate balance thanks to the narrow majority of the ruling coalition. , especially after the Supreme Court’s July 12 verdict, which not only resurrected the PTI in the assemblies but also declared it eligible for reserved seats.
Therefore, the loss of MQM-P’s support by the PML-N could have drastic consequences for the current government and the political scene in general.
