In the message meant for Sabghitullah Shah Rashdi (Pir Pagara), the PPP leadership expressed its desire to pick another PML-F man as Sindh Governor, they said.
"The PPP leadership told Shah that they had asked Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) leadership for Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad's resignation if Functional League accept the offer," the sources said.
They added that the PML-F would also be given due share in caretaker set-up in Sindh, and PPP would enter into seat-adjustment with it in next general election if it accepts the offer. Sources further said that Muzaffar Hussein Shah had conveyed the message to Pir Pagara.
"Pir Pagara asked Syed Muzaffar Shah for patience, saying detailed reply would be sent to PPP leadership very soon," the sources claimed.
They said that the offer was discussed in PML-F meeting by Pir Pagara. "Some of the PML-F leaders supported the idea while other opined that the offer should be rejected," they added.
When contacted, General Secretary PML-F, Imtiaz Shaikh, confirmed the meeting between PPP leadership and Muzaffar Shah at Bilawal House. Shaikh told Business Recorder via telephone from Sukkur that it was a routine meeting, saying that PPP leadership had convened a meeting of all Senators from Sindh so Shah also attended the meeting in that capacity.
He denied that the PPP leadership had sent any message to Pir Pagara through Muzaffar Shah with an offer of Sindh's Governorship.
He said that PML-F was doing politics of principles and they would not allow anyone to divide Sindh through two separate local governments' systems. To a question, Shaikh said that Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood had accepted Governorship in his personal capacity and resigned from the basic membership of Functional League which was accepted by party leadership.
He alleged that some sections of media had indulged in propaganda against PML-F, adding that he would address a press conference on December 25, 2012 and show the copy of Ahmed Mehmood's resignation to media.