Series of referendum rallies planned in Sindh

The referendum for President Pervez Musharraf has created an interesting situation in Sindh where the mayor of Karachi is facing a revolt for refusing to back the plan. There have been threats of a petition challenging his election as the city nazim, but it is uncertain whether this is a serious attempt to unseat him.

Professor Niamatullah belongs to the Jamaat-i-Islami, the party opposed to the election campaign launched by Pakistan's military leader. A series of rallies have been planned in his support in Sindh, the last of which will be in Karachi barely two days before the referendum on April 30.

Governor Mohammed Mian Soomro has been trying to outsmart his counterparts from other provinces. He summoned a number of politicians for consultations on Tuesday night. They included former chief minister Liaquat Jatoi, and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) trio of Nasreen Jalil, Aftab Sheikh and Liaquat Hussain. They were requested to ensure a larger turnout at the Karachi rally than that seen in Lahore.

The governor, however, has been disappointed with the Karachi nazim's attitude and has instead tried to patronise his deputy, Tariq Hasan, of the Muslim League.

"I will support Musharraf," Hasan said at a meeting with reporters yesterday, and looked set to work with the administration in mobilising strong support for the rally.

He objected to Niamatullah's decision to allow the Jamat-i-Islami permission to hold a public rally at Nishtar Park on April 19. In fact, the chief of a much smaller municipal unit from the outskirts of the city has sent a complaint to the administration to take action against the former Karachi chief of the Jamaat.

At the same time, Major General Ihtisham Zameer, the second in command of the ISI, rushed to Karachi to save the like-minded faction of the Muslim League in Sindh.

He met Ghous Bux Mehar and Haleem Siddiqi, president and general secretary of the PML(QA), and succeeded in bringing about a rapprochement between their respective groups which have been at loggerheads.

Their differences seem to have been settled, at least for the time being, as Mehar and Siddiqi, and also the convenor of the newly-formed Sindh Democratic Alliance, former MPA, Maqbool Sheikh, will hold a joint press conference in Karachi today to announce their support for Musharraf.