News
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
MQM ‘returns’ to government fold
* Altaf asks Ebad to resume office of Sindh governor
Staff Report
KARACHI: After pulling out the governments in Centre and Sindh province on June 27, the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) on Monday took a U-turn to come to the Pakistan People’s Party-led government’s fold, with its chief Altaf Hussain directing Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan to resume the office of Sindh governor.
The directive to the former governor was delivered soon after a telephonic conversation between the MQM chief and President Asif Ali Zardari took place.
“MQM chief Altaf Hussain has asked Dr Ebad to work in harmony with the federal and provincial governments under the guidance of President Zardari,” said a statement issued by the MQM’s London Secretariat.
“The governor should ensure his effective contribution towards stability in the province and play his role to act as a bridge to build (the) relationship,” it added.
Dr Ebad along with three MQM ministers in Centre and 14 in Sindh had tendered their resignations on June 28 following a government decision to defer elections on three seats of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
In the wake of the postponement of the polls, the MQM leadership had decided that it was no longer possible for the party to go along with the ruling PPP.
The strains further deepened when the MQM had filed a constitutional petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the deferment of the AJK elections for the Karachi seats.
After the talks between the president and MQM chief, government sources claimed that matters between the MQM and government had been settled.
But MQM sources said that talks were underway and that the two sides had not reached any final decision so far.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk