Official work in four ministries headed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) remained standstill on Friday amid rumours and uncertainty. MQM ministers-Babar Khan Ghauri, ports and shipping; Shamim Siddiqui, communications; Syed Safwanullah, housing; and Amir Liaquat Hussain, religious affairs-tendered resignations Thursday night due to alleged 'hurdles' created by bureaucracy in functioning of their respective ministries.
Another MQM member Abdul Qadir Khanzada, who is parliamentary secretary for communications, has not resigned so far. There was comparatively thick presence of officials in these ministries and those present remained busy in gossiping what was going to happen after this surprised political move.
Communications minister Shamim Siddiqui upon reaching Islamabad airport on Friday interacted with the media and alleged the bureaucracy was creating obstacles in their working. It is widely reported MQM ministers were having serious differences with bureaucracy over certain issues in their respective departments.
According to sources, Siddiqui was not enjoying good working relationship with National Highway Authority chairman Major General Farrukh Javed. Time and again, both of them have levelled serious allegations against each other. The minister even apprised Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz of the situation and had complained of non-co-operation by the NHA chairman, sources said.
Similarly, Babar Khan Ghauri also had a bunch of complaints against his subordinates in ports and shipping ministry. His Karachi office was facing bureaucratic hurdles and despite announcements, he succumbed to such obstacles and failed to materialise some mega projects, one is the launching of Gwadar deep sea port.
When it comes to state minister for religious affairs Dr Amir Liaquat Hussain, it is learnt that Amir, known as Aalim Online, had also some serious differences with religious affairs secretary. Housing and works minister Syed Safwanullah could not develop good relationship with bureaucracy. He was even accused of making money through allotment of flats to government employees.
All four ministers did not come to their offices on Friday and it was only Shamim Siddiqui, who returned to the federal capital for handing over their resignations to President General Pervez Musharraf. The decision to pull out MQM members from federal ministries in protest remained talk of the town and rumours and speculations gripped the Pak secretariat.