Ishratul Ebad may 're-enter' national politics

• MQM, its founder dissociated with him in 2015, says Ishrat Ebad.
• Former governor stresses on need for "new platform".
• He says impression of his inclination towards MQM wrong.

After remaining out of politics for a long time, former Sindh governor Dr Ishratul Ebad has now hinted at the possibility of him re-entering national politics.

Talking to Geo News on Saturday night, the former Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Ebad stressed that there was a need for a “new platform” from where new leadership can come forward to address the national issues.

The longest serving Sindh governor is still undecided about what party he would join despite holding meetings with disgruntled Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Miftah Ismail, who have announced they would launch a new political party soon.

Abbasi on April 8 approached the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the registration of a new political party. He had submitted relevant documents to the poll organising authority’s office for his party's registration.

Pointing towards alleged “tug-of-war” between state institutions, Ebad said the judiciary, armed forces and parliament were crucial pillars of the state and there should not be the perception that their relations were strained.

The seasoned politician — who served as governor of Sindh for 14 years, from December 2002 to November 2016 — said that since the president was the head of the state and he represented the federation, hence, the presidency in the current political circumstances needed to utilise its power to allay miscommunications and strain among the pillars of the state.

To a query, he said the party he belonged to earlier, MQM, and its founder had dissociated with him in 2015. 

“When the MQM disowned me, I also parted ways with them,” he said dismissing the impression that he had any affection for the MQM. Such an “impression is completely wrong and ridiculous.”

Warning them to refrain from their misdeeds, the former governor said he was aware of the propagandists busy in diffusing misunderstandings and wrong perceptions about him.

It should be noted that inactive MQM leader Irum Azeem Farooque has also arrived in Dubai and she might hold a meeting with Ebad.