KARACHI, Dec 10: In a dramatic but not unexpected political development in Sindh, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement conceded chief minister’s slot to the Grand National Alliance and other pro-regime parties’ nominee in exchange for the governorship.

At the same time, the GNA also ditched its original nominee for the top slot, Dr Arbab Rahim, and declared to announce yet another consensus candidate for the coveted post by Wednesday. This has fuelled dissension within the GNA ranks, sources said.

The ruling party’s troubleshooter, Ch Shujat Hussain, announced the political realignment at a news conference at the State Guest House, after extensive and successful parleys with the MQM coordination committee, bringing it round to giving up its claim on the top job.

Deputy convener of the MQM coordination committee, Dr Farooq Sattar, while confirming the decision, said the MQM had “unconditionally renounced its democratic right to strive for the chief minister’s post, in the greater national interest and to demonstrate its goodwill towards the rural people of Sindh.”

“After due consideration and to prevent the imposition of Governor’s rule in the province and frustrate the conspiracies of anti-democratic forces, the MQM coordination committee has decided to recall its earlier decision,” he said.

But later a press release of the MQM said that during talks with the GNA it was decided that the governor would belong to the Muttahida, while other matters would be decided within a day or two.

Since Nov 27, the two dramatic positions taken by the MQM, first by withdrawing support to Jamali government and again going back in the fold in less than a week, had not only upset the federal government, which quickly moved to mend fences with the MMA, but had also resulted in the postponement of the provincial assembly session.

During the meeting, Ch Shujat was accompanied by the National Alliance chief and a former caretaker prime minister, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi. The MQM side included Dr Farooq Sattar, Nasreen Jaleel, Shaikh Liaqut Hussain and MQM’s parliamentary leader in Sindh assembly, Syed Sardar Ahmed.

Saying that the MQM’s gesture was “in the interest of Karachi, Sindh and the country,” Ch Shujaat Hussain said that MQM, PML-F, PML-Q and other components of GNA would decide about the consensus candidate for the top slot.

When asked specifically whether Dr Arbab Rahim was still the GNA’s candidate for the CM’s post, Shujaat said the list, in addition to Dr Arbab Rahim, included Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi’s son Arif Jatoi, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, Ali Mohammad Maher, Pappoo Shah and Altaf Unnar.

It may be pointed out that Dr Arbab Rahim had become controversial owing to serious opposition by PML-F chief Pir Pagara. He was also opposed by the provincial chief of the PML-Q, Ghous Bux Maher. There were indications that some elements within the GNA who were also opposed to giving the top slot to the MQM, had not reconciled to the proposal of a new consensus candidate. The sources said that the NA was among those opposed to the new deal.

The sources said that differences on a possible alternative to Arbab Rahim cropped up late on Tuesday night when Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, chief of the National Alliance, expressed reservations on the candidature of Ali Mohammed Meher. In principle, he was opposed to changing of the candidate about whom a consensus had developed, the sources added.

In their meeting on Wednesday, candidates for the chief minister, speaker and deputy speaker would be finalised, he said.

When asked what was the quid pro quo or pressure tactics used to make MQM agree to the new proposition, Shujaat claimed that no pressure was exerted. The MQM “unconditionally” agreed through a dialogue which is part of democratic dispensation.

The PML-Q leader said the decision was also aimed at denying the PPP the opportunity of using the Sindh card by exploiting sentiments of the people of Sindh.

He disagreed with a reporter that by making the MQM agree to give up its claim on chief minister’s post, the GNA had virtually succeeded in denying the two major political parties of Sindh the key role in governance.

Ch Shujat claimed that the People’s Party Parliamentarians was given almost a month to prove its majority but it could not do so, therefore, the GNA decided to make its bid.

He claimed that even if the session was held on the earlier date, the PPP would not have proved its majority, and the events could have drifted the province towards governor’s rule very soon.

When he was specifically asked that if the political parties were to prove their majority outside the assembly and not inside, what was the point in holding elections, he parried the question.

He claimed that with MQM’s 41, PML-F’s 13, PML-Q’s 15, National Alliance’s 14 and two independents, the ruling constellation had gained a comfortable majority.

The new political realignment has once again diminished the possibility of PPP forming a government in Sindh. The party is also going through an internal crisis over naming of candidates for the top slot,

When asked to comment on the development, the PPP’s acting secretary general Raza Rabbani said: “If they want to marginalise the legitimate legal rights of the party which enjoys a massive verdict of the people, they are going to make the national and provincial assemblies and parliament redundant.”

He said the PPP was relevant because it was not only “largest vote getter in the October elections, it is the majority party in Sindh assembly and the second largest in the National and Punjab Assemblies.”

He contended that by trying to marginalise the PPP the regime was working against its own system.