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Thursday March 28, 2024

Why Nabil quit MQM?

Whether Nabil Gabol resigned as MNA on Tuesday or submitted his resignation to the MQM chief Altaf Hussain about a week back is not the issue, but it would be really interesting to guess his next “party”. Will he rejoin the PPP after the exit of two of his main

By Mazhar Abbas
February 25, 2015
Whether Nabil Gabol resigned as MNA on Tuesday or submitted his resignation to the MQM chief Altaf Hussain about a week back is not the issue, but it would be really interesting to guess his next “party”. Will he rejoin the PPP after the exit of two of his main rivals — Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and Uzair Baloch — due to which he had left the party and joined the MQM.
The decision to quit the MQM came after he refused to sit at the Nine Zero as per party rules for all legislatures and also avoid visiting his constituency — Azizabad.
Nabil told this reporter about a week back that although he appreciated Altaf Hussain for his support particularly at a time when he was under serious security threat and also getting him elected from the MQM’s strongest constituency, it was very difficult for him to continue because of undue pressure on him to sit at the Nine Zero.
“I have no complaint against Altaf Hussain, but it’s very difficult for me to do what some MQM leaders wanted me to do,” he said.
Nabil’s sudden decision to submit his resignation to the Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq came after he came to know that two prominent MQM leaders, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Aamir Khan, had been asked to go to Islamabad and meet him. The resignations were supposed to be submitted by the party leadership along with Nabil.
About a month back, Nabil spoke to Altaf Hussain, and explained his differences with some party leaders. Altaf asked him to play a more active role in the party, which he refused.
There were some other issues as well which led to his resignation particularly at this crucial juncture. He left the MQM at a time when there were contradictory reports about a possible crackdown on the one hand and MQM joining Sindh government on the other. One thing is certain that he has not resigned for any “personal reasons” nor his decision to join PPP or any other party would be easy.
Nabil’s quitting the party and the news that FIA will take the custody of Uzair Baloch from Interpol coincide. He is also pleased with the PPP’s action against Mirza. It is still uncertain if it will pave way for him to return to the PPP.
The question is how important is Nabil Gabol and what is his political future in Karachi. Even if he returns to the PPP, it would not be easy for him to do politics in Lyari. He himself felt that after the arrest of Uzair Baloch and major operation in the area against Lyari gang war the atmosphere was much better for him to resume his political activities. In this context, the PPP is the only party left for him.
He had contested and won elections from Lyari on at least four occasions and was once considered close to former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. After her assassination, he was also close to former President Asif Ali Zardari till Dr Zulfiqar Mirza decided to back Uzair Baloch and use his gang against the alleged MQM militants.
Nabil advised Zardari that his move would not help the PPP in Lyari but damage the party. However, the sitting PPP Karachi President Qadir Patel, who was once considered close to Mirza, had political differences with Nabil. So whenever Mr. Zardari held meeting on Lyari, he found Mirza and Patel on one page and Nabil on the other side.
When the law and order deteriorated and Zardari asked Mirza to step down as Home Minister, he also acknowledged Nabil, but Patel, an old and diehard PPP leader in Karachi, still remained close to Mr. Zardari. But, some of the PPP workers who had applied for Senate ticket told this scribe that during their meeting with the Parliamentary Board, they found that the PPP co-Chairman was not very happy with Patel’s performance.
However, it may not be easy for him to return to the PPP and may find strong opposition from the PPP, Lyari. Nabil would be regarded as the turncoat. Some sources said he had been contacted by a prominent PPP leader.
Which other party can he join — the PML (N) or the PTI ? None of the two assured him of victory from Lyari, the only constituency from where he can contest. The PTI Karachi may not support the move and they have already expressed their reservations. But, the PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi might be interested as the two remained colleagues in the PPP.
So, what announcement Gabol will make in the press conference today (Wednesday) would decide his future political destiny. But, what he might not be well aware of the fact that despite massive operation in Lyari against gang war, politics in Lyari may not be easy for the PPP, particularly for him.
The writer is senior analyst, columnist of GEO, The News and Jang