News
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
PPP, MQM vow to work together* MQM team meets Zardari, discusses implementation of decisions of PPP-MQM Core Committee
* President directs Sindh PPP to take MQM on board on all issuesBy Razzak Abro
KARACHI: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Tuesday vowed to work together.
Presiding over a joint meeting of the PPP and MQM at the Bilawal House, President Asif Ali Zardari directed the PPP leadership in Sindh to take its major coalition ally, the MQM, on board on all administrative issues.
He also asked the party to form a seven-member committee to ensure that decisions of the core committees of both the parties were implemented.
The representatives of the MQM were Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan, the party’s coordination committee members Dr Farooq Sattar and Wasim Aftab and provincial ministers Dr Saghir Ahmed, Raza Haroon and Adil Siddiqi.
The PPP Sindh side was represented by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Senior Minister Pir Mazharul Haq, Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani, Katchi Abadis Minister Rafiq Engineer and president of the party’s Karachi chapter Najmi Alam.
MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar told reporters that it was decided that both parties would collectively serve the people and work together to strengthen democracy. He said MQM’s participation in all decisions had also been assured.
He said under the president’s directives, an implementation committee would be formed that would ensure implementation of decisions of the core committee of both parties whether they were on removal of encroachments, law and order matters or other issues. To a question, Sattar said issues such as the new local government system, local bodies elections and restoration of Hyderabad district’s status would be discussed and resolved at a forum of the core committee.
He said the president had also assured the meeting of his cooperation in resolving all issues such as power shortage, provision of jobs and implementation of development projects.
PPP Karachi chapter President Najmi Alam said there was a need to form an implementation committee because of the delay in implementation of the core committee’s decisions.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik also attended the meeting. Malik had also met MQM chief Altaf Hussain in London a few days ago when a controversy between both the PPP and the MQM arose following Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s statement that the previous status of the Hyderabad district would be revived.
The MQM leadership had reacted strongly on the issue, and threatened to leave the coalition. However, PPP leaders, who were part of
the Sindh government, had later backtracked from the party’s stance.“The media had wrongly reported the PM’s speech in Hyderabad,” said Pir Mazharul Haq, who is also the parliamentary leader of the PPP in Sindh.
Talking to reporters after attending the president’s meeting, Haq said that were no differences between the two parties on reviving the status of Hyderabad district. Haq said both parties had a good working relationship and they would not provide any opportunity to the enemies of the country and democracy and would keep their unity intact.
The senior minister said the election of president, prime minister or the Senate, all were conducted with mutual consultation of the parties.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk