The meetings were held in London to settle outstanding issues between the two major allies in Sindh, the PPP and the MQM. The problems surfaced when MQM members could not join the federal cabinet headed by soft spoken Yousuf Raza Gilani. That was interesting since the MQM members in the parliament are 31, it is reasonable number by any standards. The PPP tended to ignore the ground reality and opted to accommodate PML-F with two while the ANP with 13 seats. The non-inclusion of 'haqq-parasts' surprised all. Even though the Prime Minister expressed his desire to include Nine Zero but it was not possible to stop people from speculating. They're genuine by the MQM. It was listened in London as Sindh ministers Pir Mazhar and Zulfikar Mirza dashed and talked with Altaf Hussain. The fiery MQM chief made it clear his party is not interested in ministries alone, they are no problem for it. 'Our cooperation with the PPP is largely unconditional and we will continue to support it we joined the cabinet or not it is no issue at all. For some people, it is; they hate to see men and women of Azizabad relish life as ministers and help people. Indeed, PML-N has its own still unexplained reservations about the MQM it will surely welcome non-inclusion of Altaf's men at the centre even though 'matwalas' themselves have resigned from the Gilani cabinet. It is a mystery why Nawaz Sharif opposed the MQQM and failed to respond positively to Altaf Hussain's offer of olive branch; he slept over it. Despite usual bickering in the PPP camp about the way MQM ministers tend to work, it is evident genial Syed Qaim Ali Shah never wanted to see any problem in major cities of Karachi and Hyderabad. Shah usually goes out of his way to accommodate Nine Zero; he offered them urban quota in jobs and Nine Zero tended to accept it gleefully. Sindh chief minister deserves credit for accommodating all. He is an old seasoned campaigner who served Sindh well during first Benazir stint effectively. When Benazir Bhutto made him chief of the PPP Sindh, it was obvious she has full faith in his leadership qualities and his charisma of winning over even die-hard opponents. There is no denying the fact some elements hate to see peace and the calm in Karachi; they want to see trouble. Some fellows are helping them enormously day and night. This is wholly unfair and unjustified. Sindh needs peace in total not in peace meal. But the main city is witnessing a wave of street killings that is taking heavy toll. So far wanton killers belonging to all major parties have killed more than 150 youngsters. But the MQM heads the list with more than 70 dead followed by MQM-HPML-N, ANP, ST and others. Why these youngsters are killing each other's ruthlessly is hard to figure out. This is major issue right now facing the Sindh administration. Indeed, some terminal anti-MQM fellows love to see operation clean up in Karachi; they don't want the MQM to get the home ministry. Nine Zero deserves credit in the sense it has accepted the writ of the PPP and hardly challenged any of its action in Sindh indeed approved by President Asif Ali Zardari. But to bypass Nine Zero at the centre is not possible. The President understands this and orders his people to satisfy the MQQM. His own man in Karachi keeps in constant touch with London over any issues. What are the main issues it is not out of place to discuss them closely. Thee main issue is the local bodies system, the PPP is not terribly interested in keeping the system in tact. It wants to bring drastic changes in the system introduced by Pervez Musharraf and his men. The chief culprit was general Naqvi, he himself thrown away his own baby and ran away but his legacy continues to haunt major political players in Sindh and elsewhere. In Sindh in fact the main party benefiting is the MQM in urban while PML-Q and PML-F relished the system in the rural areas. Since both are on their way out they seldom mind any wrapping up. Nine Zero does; it has clear stakes in it. The way Young City nazim Mustafa Kamal has achieved the second best mayor award speaks for it for the services he has rendered. It is a colossal success by any standards. The other issue related to federal ministries, as the MQM wants to acquire some ministers that are related to the port city. The PPP objects to it and wants to have it in its own way bypassing the major partner. The third irritant is about number of ministries to be offered to 'haq-parasts' they deserve not less than six positions in view of their numerical strength in the parliament. How can Gilani ignore these fellows who supported Asif Ali Zardari all along in his quest for the top powerful slot. True, the MQM has an army of detractors led by seasoned Mumtaz Ali Bhutto frail Rasool Bux Palejo and angry Qadir Magsi, these fellows have nothing in common except they all lack popular mandate. For the PPP with the huge Sindh mandate it is not possible to neglect brute ground reality of the MQM. It is a force to reckon with. It has come to stay in Sindh. There is no point in rejecting this mandate. Perhaps no other person realizes this more than what Asif Ali Zardari does. He is religiously following his slain wife Benazir Bhutto in the MQM affairs. This is politics.