KARACHI, May 29: Less than a month after the Pakistan People’s Party-Muttahida Qaumi Movement coalition in Sindh was cemented through the induction of 13 MQM ministers into Syed Qaim Ali Shah’s cabinet, an apparent continuing power struggle between the PPP-led provincial government and Karachi’s Muttahida-backed city government has begun to raise questions about the stability of the coalition.

The latest signs of trouble became apparent when Sindh Minister for Works and Services Manzoor Wassan criticised the city district government Karachi (CDGK) for creating a ‘state within a state’ at a news conference on Thursday, in reference to the city government’s apparent refusal to acknowledge the posting of the new executive district officer (EDO) of the works and services department and extension of the previous EDO’s services on a contractual basis.

The fresh controversy follows on the heels of a row over control of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and Karachi Building Control Authority, which pitted the local government minister against the Karachi nazim. However, though that quarrel was apparently resolved, the latest acrimony will require diplomatic manoeuvring from both parties to find a workable solution.

According to PPI, addressing a press conference at his office in the Sindh Secretariat, Mr Wassan said the CDGK was not complying with the Sindh government’s orders of appointing Mahmood Ahmed Lakho as EDO Works Karachi and putting hurdles in his way.

He said that Raheel Siddiqui performed his job as EDO Works from 2001 to 2002, Shoaib Bukhari from 2003 to 2004, Sarfaraz Shah from 2004 to 2005 and Nisar Ahmed Sario remained posted till May 17, 2008. The minister said that Mr Sario had to retire on May 17, but he was given a contract from May 19 by the CDGK in violation of the ban on contract jobs imposed by the Sindh government.

Wassan alleged that the CDGK was creating a ‘state within a state’ by confronting the Sindh government. He said such acts would create a gulf between the PPP and MQM and would harm their coalition in Sindh.

Talking to Dawn, Manzoor Wassan said if the city nazim had reservations about the posting of the new EDO, he should have communicated these concerns to the ministry.

‘Why were we not informed?’

“They should have intimated us. After all, the staff belongs to our department and works for the local bodies. We want to work together. But why was the EDO hired on contract when the cabinet had decided that no more appointments would be made on a contractual basis? And why were we not informed? We could have formed the government on our own but we decided to take the MQM along. However, this could be a bureaucratic manoeuvre to create misunderstandings. The nazim should have approached us. We didn’t like how the whole affair was conducted. If you are in a coalition, you shoulder joint responsibility.”

When City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal was approached for his take on the situation, he tersely told this reporter that he had “no comments on the matter. The PPP’s representatives can better answer these questions.”

When Sindh Minister for Youth Affairs Faisal Sabzwari, who belongs to the MQM, was asked to comment on whether this most recent confrontation would affect the atmosphere of reconciliation between the PPP and MQM, he also parried the question and told Dawn that “these queries are best referred to the city nazim.”

However, the Chief Minister’s Special Assistant for Media Waqar Mehdi made it clear that as long as toes are not stepped on, the conciliatory mood would continue.

‘No need to get angry’

“We want reconciliation. That is what our alliance is based on. But our powers are being challenged. We have not played with their powers. The EDO had retired, so why did they extend his tenure on contract? This is beyond our comprehension. We don’t understand what the city nazim is trying to do. What is he trying to prove? This issue should have noting to do with likes and dislikes. These postings fall under the purview of the Sindh government as per the law and the constitution. There is no need to get angry. It’s all part of the process.”

The first signs of trouble were witnessed when two notifications were issued on April 24 indicating that the provincial government had replaced the city nazim with Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani as head of the KWSB and KBCA. However, Mr Kamal shot back on April 25 by notifying the KWSB as the water and sanitation and the KBCA as the building control groups of offices of the CDGK.

Tit for tat retaliatory measures continued till May 21, when Mr Durrani, Mr Kamal and Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad together toured the city indicating that the hatchet had indeed been buried, while the city nazim was quoted as saying that the minister was “our boss.”

However, the détente was short-lived when, on May 26, Mr Lakho – the newly-posted EDO works – was reportedly not allowed to take charge of his office on instructions of the city nazim.