KARACHI: NEW SINDH ADMINISTRATORS NAMED

C O N F I D E N T I A L KARACHI 000053

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2020
TAGS: PGOV PTER PK
SUBJECT: KARACHI: NEW SINDH ADMINISTRATORS NAMED

REF: A. KARACHI 40

B. KARACHI 42

Classified by: Consul General Stephen G. Fakan, Reasons 1.4 b and d


1. (U) SUMMARY: The Sindh Assembly on February 22 announced the
appointment of administrators to oversee local government until the
May 2010 party-based elections. Replacing Karachi Nazim Mustafa
Kamal (MQM) is District Coordination Officer Lala Fazal ur Rehman,
and replacing Hyderabad Nazim Kanwar Naveeed Jamal (MQM) is District
Coordination Officer Mohammad Altaf Katri. As the civil servant
administrators of Sindh's two largest cities, each will be playing a
critical role in keeping the peace between the political parties (MQM
and PPP) within government operations as well as through law and
order on the streets. Rehman and Katri will also be key
interlocutors for Post through the election period. All other
interior Sindh District Coordinating Officers will be appointed as
the local administrators in their districts. END SUMMARY


2. (C) Sindh Minister for Local Bodies, Agha Siraj Durrani (PPP)
announced the core committee's decision on February 22 followed by a
series of official statements by Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah.
These statements officially dissolve the local and city councils and
name administrator appointees in Karachi and Hyderabad. District
Coordination Officer (DCO) Lala Fazal ur Rehman will serve as
Karachi's administrator and DCO Mohammad Altaf Katri, will be the
administrator in Hyderabad. While the administrators are government
appointees from the civil servants corps and hence apolitical, as
predicted, Karachi and Hyderabad will have administrators supported
by and supportive of MQM (reftel A). Rehman and Katri will be
playing a critical role in keeping the peace between the political
parties (MQM and PPP) within government operations as well as through
law and order on the streets.


3. (U) All other interior Sindh District Coordinating Officers will
be appointed as administrators. While formal notification has been
made, administrators have not yet assumed their offices.

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REHMAN TAKES KARACHI
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4. (C) Ex Nazim Syed Mustapha Kamal's prediction was correct (reftel
B) as DCO Rehman will take over Kamal's old office until the
elections. Despite his party affiliation, and being ethnically
Pathan, Rehman has worked closely with leaders of both PPP and MQM
and presents a suitable leadership compromise for both leading
parties. In a private conversation with Consul General Fakan, Sindh
Home Secretary Arif Khan (MQM) offered insight into this choice.
Despite calling him a "falling down drunk", Khan firmly stated that
Rehman was the best candidate for the job and asserted that when he
is charged with a serious responsibility, Rehman "breaks the bottle"
and will show restraint. Considered the most even-handed of the
candidates by all parties he will most likely ensure fairness in the
run-up to elections. With further probing, Khan also admitted that
while Rehman would not be able to stop election fraud, he was
confident that Rehman would make sure that no one took an unfair
advantage. In an interesting aside, according to Khan, the
Administrator candidacy discussion went all the way up to Zardari who
also questioned Rehman's capabilities due to the excessive drinking.

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KATRI IN HYDERABAD
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5. (C) A bit unexpectedly, Mohammad Altaf Katri will be assuming in
the administrator role in Hyderabad, Sindh's second largest city and
another MQM stronghold. He is a senior civil servant with a "soft
view of MQM", while also working favorably with PPP provincial
leaders. Note: Sajjad Abassi, another MQM civil service confidante
currently based in the Revenue Department in Karachi was rumored to
be the frontrunner for the Hyderabad administrator position.

FAKAN