The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has not yet taken any decision about the fate of the 60-plus Cabinet members, especially those who got relief under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in the reshuffle likely to be announced on return of Prime Minister Gilani from his four-day two-nation tour.
Sources in PPP said that it was unlikely that the ministers who got relief under NRO would be fired in the reshuffle. They said that the PPP could not afford to send home key ministers including Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar at this critical time when the party is facing its worst credibility crisis.
PPP loyalists maintain that Rehman has handled the security issues quite efficiently and his removal would not be a wise decision for the government without any directive from any court of law. They add that Rehman is an effective administrator and understands the security issues, and has visibly improved the security situation in areas that come under the federal government purview.
Sources said that irrespective of the fact that Rehman did benefit from the NRO, the Prime Minister is satisfied with his performance as Interior Minister. A PPP insider said that the government should remove all those ministers who benefited from the NRO to set an example of responsible governance, before any directive by courts. However, the President's circle believes that since all cases are pending in the courts and there has been no conviction against any sitting minister, there was no need for resignations at this time.
President Zardari has used Rehman repeatedly as his liaison person with MQM. He was recently sent to meet MQM chief Altaf Hussain in London with President's special message in an effort to ease tensions between the coalition partners in the aftermath of the withdrawal of MQM support for the passage of the NRO in the National Assembly.
Talking to media in London, Rehman confidently rejected any impression of his removal.
However, sources said that the final decision in this regard would be taken by the President and the Prime Minister soon after the Premier's return from Germany and UK.
Talha Mehmood, Chairman of Senate standing committee on interior, said that only a person with no previous criminal record should be selected for this important portfolio. Additionally, a person with close links to the public should be assigned the portfolio, he added.
He alleged that Rehman was concentrating on political manoeuvring instead of focusing on security issues. He also rejected the claim that Rehman had made any contribution to improving the security situation in the country, and said that it was the Pakistan Army which was handling the menace of terrorism.
"Truthfully, nothing has been done at the Federal level to control the suicide attacks in cities like Peshawar. The provincial governments have developed their own mechanisms to meet this hazard", Talha said. Regarding tight security at Red Zone Area while ignoring other parts of the capital, Talha said that even security at the Red Zone was not satisfactory, and security measures there "are troublesome for the commuters". He said that Rehman's repeated claims that scanners, imported from China, would be installed at various checkpoints of the capital to monitor vehicles were yet materialise.
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