The Sindh Cabinet under the chief ministership of Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has begun to show flexible attitude toward Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in anticipation of an expected change in the political set-up in Sindh. Sources said that Dr Arbab during his recent meetings with President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had briefed them about the actions he had taken to bring the MQM and the JI closer on development issues and the functioning of the local bodies institutions, government's softer attitude toward the opposition, and worsening law and order situation in the interior of Sindh.
Matters relating to controversial issues such as greater Thal canal and Kalabagh dam that opposition uses against the federal government were also discussed.
Sources said they believed that the President was not happy with the way the Sindh chief minister was dealing with issues, and had instructed him to move ahead with firm steps as far as development projects were concerned.
The Sindh chief minister has also been advised to bring to the negotiating his errant cabinet colleagues who continue to threaten him to withdraw their support to his chief ministership.
The opposition has expressed satisfaction over summoning of the assembly session by Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, contrary to earlier practices that the governor would summon provincial assembly session after the opposition had submitted requisition.
The Opposition on Monday had submitted requisition application to the Speaker of the Sindh Assembly to summon assembly session within 14 days on the receipt of the application.
Well-placed political sources on Thursday said that an understanding between the opposition and the treasury members in the Sindh Assembly had been reached to discuss all issues that were mentioned in the requisition letter.
They said that a change in the political set-up was in the offing. However, it would depend if the party in power agreed to national elections before 2007.
Chances for early elections could not be ruled out as the ongoing confidence building measures between the government and the main political parties ie PPP of Benazir Bhutto and the PML of Nawaz Sharif were reported to be moving in the right direction, they added.
In the opinion of the Sindh PPP leadership all national issues should be debated and discussed and political issues should be found out. The Sindh Assembly would now discuss issues such as setting up of Council of Common Interest, distribution of resources formula for the National Finance Commission, Kalabagh dam, Thal canal, unemployment, and ever-increasing prices of daily-use articles.
A discussion on the crime increase and failure of the law and order maintaining machinery in establishing the writ of the government are other point for discussion when the assembly meets on February 25.
PPP sources said that they were prepared to show "sense of accommodation if the government agrees to listen to our problems and shows willingness to address problems of the common man."
They said that a coalition government in Sindh under the chief ministership of a man who had only four MPAs at his back was an artificial arrangement and it should come to an end.
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