Ebad plays referee to cool down temperatures

Karachi
Leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday sat down together, with Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad acting as a mediator, and resolved to abide by the code of ethics outlined by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the April 23 by-election on NA-246 in MQM’s traditional stronghold of Azizabad.
A day after the PTI leaders and activists had a violent run-in with MQM workers at the historic Jinnah Ground, leaders from both parties gathered at the Governor House for talks that concluded with an agreement on refraining from actions that could vitiate the already-strained political environment, including passing snide remarks about each others’ leaders.
Delegations of both parties included their by-election candidates, Kanwar Naveed Jameel and Imran Ismail, while the other members were Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui from the MQM and Dr Arif Alvi and Firdous Shameem Naqvi from the PTI.
Assisting the governor in refereeing the dispute were Commissioner Karachi Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui and Karachi police chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo.
The MQM leaders said their party had no objections to the PTI contesting the by-election at NA-246. In fact, they said, the party will even help the PTI hold its public gathering planned to be held at the Jinnah Ground on April 19.
However, said the MQM leaders, the party would do so only if PTI leaders and activists strictly refrained from uttering anything unsavoury regarding Muttahida leaders and the venue itself. They demanded that the PTI leaders respected the sanctity of the martyrs’ monument at Jinnah Ground.
Talking to the media after the successful meeting, the governor said it was held to mitigate the political strain between both parties which had increased considerable after Tuesday’s incident. He claimed both sides had talked to each other in a cordial and pleasant atmosphere. However, understandably, he did give credit to MQM supremo Altaf Hussain for extending the first olive branch toward the rival party and taking the initiative issue for negotiations between both hot contenders.
He said the MQM leaders were also apologetic over Tuesday’s incident and had therefore offered to help the PTI hold its rally at Jinnah Ground or any other suitable venue within NA-246.
The governor said both sides were keen on letting the by-election be conducted in a peaceful and democratic environment and abide by the ECP’s code of ethics.
Talking about Tuesday’s incident when MQM activists had thrashed the car of PTI candidate Imran Ismail, the governor said it was a result of a dispute during an ongoing cricket match in which one side had been denied its turn to bat.
When asked what the parties intended to do about the FIRs registered against each other following the Tuesday incident, he said their fate was in the hands of the law and due procedure.
He said he had suggested to both the MQM and PTI, to continue campaigning for the upcoming by-election but both decided to be careful and exercise restraint in the choice of words used by their leaderships.
Also speaking to the media after the meeting, the PTI candidate Imran Ismail remarked that NA-246 had no individual importance of its own and neither party should perceive the other’s win as a blow to their prestige.
He said the PTI welcomed the MQM chief Altaf Hussain’s invitation of cooperation and also praised the mediatory of Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad.
He said whoever ends up winning the by-election should will have the due mandate of the people of Karachi.
On the other hand, MQM candidate Kanwar Naveed Jameel remarked that the martys’ monument at Jinnah Ground had great sentimental value for workers and supporters of his party. He said all wuarters concerned should respect the dignity of the offices of political parties.
To this PTI MNA from NA-250, Dr Arif Alvi, said his party will go ahead with its plan of holding a public meeting in Azizabad but will uphold the dignity of martyrs’ monument which built in the memory of the innocent youth killed in Karachi. He also promised that no unsavoury remarks will be passed by party leaders speaking at the public gathering.
He said PTI leaders will also pay a visit to the monument and hold a Quran Khwani to pray for the departed souls.
Additional IG Karachi Ghulam Qadir Thebo said the police had requested the government to formally notify Jinnah Ground as the venue for PTI’s upcoming rally to that adequate security arrangements could be made for the occasion.