No matter how long the purple patch of partnership of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement will go on, one wonders now what would be the fate of Dr Shoaib Suddle, who took the charge of inspector general Sindh police nearly a month ago.
It was Mr Suddle who shattered the nearly reached power sharing accord between the two old foes and now the partners in the Sindh province. Immediately after taking of oath as IG Sindh by Shoaib Suddle, MQM left the first round of negotiations; but left the door open a bit, for further talks.
PPP leaders on the other side declared Mr Suddle as their ‘hero’ given his performance during the last reign of the party in rooting-out the criminals.
“Dr Shoaib Suddle is not new for Karachi and MQM, and MQM and Karachi are not new for Dr Shoaib Suddle. Shoaib Suddle has done it before and ‘been there, seen it’ and yes done that once again,” PPP leaders could be heard murmuring with media persons.
But the scenario changed dramatically, when 13 members of the Sindh Assembly belonging to MQM took oath as ministers on May 2 at the Governor House, Sindh. To continue to the harmony tune, Home Minister of Sindh Zulfiqar Mirza termed Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, Sindh governor, as the governor of ‘all parties’.
This raises the one million dollar question whether the MQM has accepted Shoaib Suddle or both the coalition partners have agreed on one point? that Dr Suddle will be relieved.
The new coalition government would not have any problem in this regard as formal service period of Dr Shoaib, who was serving cozily in the police department in Islamabad, will be over in next three to four weeks. To get this police officer ? known for his honesty and devotion to job ? off his seat, the rulers just have to block extension to his service period.
Dr Shoaib Suddle served as DIG Karachi from June 1995 till November 1996 during the second tenure of Benazir Bhutto, and the interior minister was none other than Naseerullah Baber, the man who really choked terrorism in Karachi at that period. Naseerullah Baber owed his success in bringing law and order back to Karachi with the aid of Shoaib Suddle and Tariq Lodhi, who has also been sent to Karachi along with Shoaib Suddle as IB chief.
Dr Shoaib Suddle has done his Doctorate in White Collar Criminology from University of Wales Cardiff. When he was looking after Karachi in the mid nineties, he was so successful that he had reduced the monthly killings of 350 in June 1995 to zero in January 1996. He has established his mole network within the cadres of MQM, so deep that he was able to hear the telephonic conversations of the alleged terrorists and he was aware of the second-by-second happenings in the Nine Zero, the headquarter of MQM.
Senior analysts, commenting on the prevalent state of affairs, believe that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)’s newly found love is a good attempt at national reconciliation and it would loads of good for the economic welfare of Karachi. Otherwise, MQM in opposition means lots of trouble in the streets of Karachi and Hyderabad, they believe.
Soon after the elections of February 18th efforts were underway from both sides (especially from Asif Zardari) to mend ways. MQM was finding it hard to remain in opposition especially when the exiled leadership wholly depends upon the all-embracing support from Karachi, and Mr Zardari didn’t want a troubled Karachi along with other mounting problems.
The leadership of the PPP and the MQM has forgiven each other by saying the following:
“We have forgiven each other and also pardoned our enemies. We will not take our revenge on the people … we will avenge ourselves by changing the system,” said Asif Ali Zardari.
“Today we have started a new journey. We have forgiven PPP and they have pardoned us. We will work jointly to eliminate the urban-rural divide and for the rights of oppressed people to make Sindh prosperous.” said Altaf Hussain.
Nice words, but these have been uttered before, time and time again. So, its time that will judge the actual strength of relationship between the two parties.
After the power accord, total 13 out of 41 ministers in the Sindh Cabinet are associated with Muttahida Qaumi Movement. The newly inducted Sindh Ministers took oath under different portfolios.
Ms Nadia Gabol is assigned for Human Rights, Dr Sagheer Ahmed for Health, Dr Mohammed Ali Shah for Sports, Syed Faisal Sabzwari for Youth Affairs, Zubair Ahmed Khan for Rural Development, Rauf Siddiqi for Trade and Industry, Askari Taqi for Environment and Alternate Energy, Syed Shoaib Ahmed Bukhari for Bureau of Supply and Prices, Muhammed Adil Siddiqi for Public Health Engineering, Abdul Haseeb for Auqaf and Muhammad Raza Haroon for Information Technology.
The portfolios to two other MQM-associated ministers including Khalid Bin Wilayat and Sheikh Mohammed Afzal, have not been announced till filing this article.
Though analysts say Asif Ali Zardari is pursuing the right policy regarding MQM. But they question power sharing in the Sindh Assembly at the cost of law and order situation.
Some of analysts sharply declined the chances that government would block extension of Sindh IG, arguing that if it had to be done then Mr Suddle would never have been posted on Sindh police’s top slot. 
Whatever the future of Shoaib Suddle will be, the persisting situation tells us that outlaws and criminals rule the cosmopolitan city - considered as the economic lifeline of the motherland. No one is safe on the streets of the city even in broad daylight; over 40,000 mobiles have been snatched since January 2008 showing the gravity of the lawlessness.
Karachiites desperately needs someone like Dr Shoaib Suddle, as the city has once again become an arsenal and outlaws have strengthened their trenches and seem ready to give Karachi a bloodbath. One glimpse was the Nishtar Park mass assassinations of Sunni Tehrik’s whole leadership, and then came 12th May and then came the 9th April. Pakistan cannot afford more such gruesome happenings.