The Kamal-Ebad diatribe: what went wrong?

Chairman Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) Mustafa Kamal has made some serious allegations against Sindh’s longest serving Governor Dr. Ishrat ul Ebad. The governor not only denied allegations, but made a counter attack, saying that Kamal’s reaction was based on his political failure.

Kamal’s diatribe against the governor surprised many. What made the two former colleagues turn against each other?

A lot had to do with the recent split in the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) — one led by Nadeem Nusrat in London and the other by Dr. Farooq Sattar in Pakistan.

The former Karachi mayor Kamal has accused the governor of dissuading people from joining his party PSP. He alleged him of forming MQM Pakistan on one hand and keeping in touch with MQM London on the other.

Ebad interestingly expressed fears that Kamal’s frustrations were a result of his political failure in making any meaningful impact through PSP.

When MQM was one party with Altaf Hussain as its kingpin, both Kamal and Sattar remained uncomfortable with Ebad.

Kamal left MQM by choice after 2013 elections while MQM disassociated itself from Ebad, following Sattar's charge-sheet against him in 2015, for not doing much for the party and failure to look after party's interest.

However, Ebad always remained in the comfort zone of successive rulers and spy heads, retired General Pervez Musharraf to the present army chief General Raheel Sharif, from former President Asif Ali Zardari to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and from retired Lt. General Zaheerul Islam to Lt. General Rizwan Akhtar. If there has been a consensus on one man for this (Governor) job, it is on Dr Ishrat ul Ebad.

One of the reasons could be his ability to bring successive governments out of crisis, not only in Karachi but even at the center. The successive chiefs of premier Intelligence agencies have also posed their confidence in him.

No surprises he is holding this position for the past 14 years, and he survived despite a change of governments.

On Friday PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held a marathon meeting with Ebad along with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah over Karachi’s developments schemes. Some reports suggest Bilawal had even offered him a place in the PPP.

Mustafa Kamal on the other hand emerged as an acceptable face with his hard work as Karachi's mayor. In many ways he was also lucky that retired General Pervez Musharraf was head of the State and MQM was his trusted ally.

It is true that MQM as a party was behind Kamal, but, I have personally seen his work in making Karachi a better city. His efforts eventually earned him an award for being one of the best mayors in the world.

He never looked comfortable when he was made the party’s senator; his expertise was perhaps local bodies.

So why did Ebad and Kamal part ways? Was there a personality clash between the two?

Information gathered by this writer revealed that Governor Ebad, was against the formation of PSP. When he was asked by ‘the people who matter’ about his opinion over the prospects of PSP on ground he said that its fate may not be different from MQM (Haqiqi) or Azeem Tariq's episode and suggested an alternate plan.

As far as allegations of corruption are concerned no concrete evidence so far has come on record either against Ebad or Kamal. The former mayor may create problems for the Governor, if he brings some evidence on record.

Sources said Kamal feared that after August 22, Ebad supported the position taken by Dr Farooq Sattar and his team in his meetings with high officials.

However, Altaf Hussain and MQM London, never contacted him since he refused to step down as Governor. Sources said Ebad was once asked to try to fence the difference between MQM Pakistan and PSP, but both sides rejected the move at this stage.

When both Ebad and Kamal were part of the MQM they were on one page; the MQM should not join PPP government after former Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza’s operation against alleged MQM militants. Later, Ebad played an important role in convincing former President Asif Ali Zardari to remove him as Home Minister.

Ebad was also among those disappointed with Altaf Hussain's speech on May 19, 2013, which ultimately led to another split after many leaders were humiliated and manhandled by MQM workers in the General Workers Meeting.

Kamal, Anis Qaimkhani, Anis Advocate, Raza Haroon and others 'quietly' left the party without any formal announcement. Altaf Hussain made several attempts to bring back Kamal in particular but he informed party leaders that he was not interested in politics.

Kamal by nature had a reputation of being short tempered, even when he was mayor and active in MQM. The party's labor wing was particularly not happy with his attitude and behavior, something which was often reflected from his 'harsh tone,' during interviews and press conferences.

It is difficult to say how far this controversy may continue and what will be the final outcome but Ebad is still in the good books of both the establishment as well as federal and Sindh governments. Who knows he might get an important position before the next elections.

 

The writer is the senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang.