Islamabad, Pakistan: A row against interim information minister Murtaza Solangi by PPP important leaders like Faisal Kundi looks unusual as well as uncalled for.
Murtaza Solangi who served the PPP government as Director General of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PCB) is a respected senior journalist and enjoys the reverence of an honest, professional, simple, and balanced journalist while Faisal Karim Kundi is a young promising politician who served last PDM government as Minister of State. He also holds the office of the Central Secretary of Information of the Pakistan People’s Party and is a member of the Central Executive Committee.
When Murtaza Solangi had a meeting with PML supreme leader Mian Nawaz Sharif in London, the news in the air was that he would be recommended for the then forthcoming interim cabinet. There is the possibility that his meeting with Mian Nawaz Sharif had nothing to do with his appointment as Interim Information minister but PPP had already stated that Interim Information ministry is with PLMN.
In the PDM government, the Information Ministry was with the PMLN, therefore there is no harm if it is again with a nominee of PMLN–Murtaza Solangi. The Foreign Ministry was with the PPP and the PPP nominee for the PM slot is now the Foreign Minister of the interim government. Although nobody can tag Murtaza Solangi as a nominee of PMLN even if he is, PPP should not cry over this arrangement.
There is no doubt that politics is the name of the division and everybody knew that parties working together in the PDM government would soon apart and would pitch their narratives against each other. Pitching narratives against each other is something else but accusing Murtaza Solangi because he has comfortable contacts with PMLN is an altogether different political move.
Certain circles in Islamabad believe that targeting Murtaza Solangi by PPP could have resulted in an attempt of certain administrative circles of the Ministry of Information to put pressure on Murtaza Solangi who has started operation clean up within his ministry. Faisal Kundi had been very active in the Ministry of Information during the PDM government and he had been on the PTV screen more than any other PPP minister. There is the possibility that people who are not comfortable with operation clean-up within the ministry are creating misunderstandings between PPP and Murtaza Solangi by exploiting their relations with Faisal Kundi. If so, such elements soon would offer Murtaza Solangi for parlays with Faisal Kundi through them and would offer their services for “go-between”. Politics is very callous.
A number of senior journalists in Islamabad believe that the PPP has chosen the wrong target because the personality of Murtaza Solangi does not fit within the allegations PPP is leveling against him. There is a possibility that someone within the ministry played well against him. A calm review from both sides is needed to break the cycle that can make things worse.
