MQM likely to get share in Cabinet

KARACHI - The Muttahida Qaumi Movement is likely to get share in the federal Cabinet after resignation of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ministers, insiders in MQM and Pakistan People's Party disclosed to TheNation on Sunday.


PPP sources said that after nomination of Salman Tasseer as Punjab Governor, the rift between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan People's Party is increasing and it is likely that Muttahida Qaumi Movement would be inducted into the federal Cabinet after budget session.


A source in Pakistan People's Party told TheNation that Pakistan People's Party was compelled to take the moderate forces on board and Pakistan People's Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari had also asked the PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif that Muttahida Qaumi Movement should be given ministries in the federal Cabinet to decrease the rift between political parties and to make parliament strong rather than starting a tug of war among the political parties heads. The sources said Nawaz Sharif had taken rigid stance about MQM for not taking it on board at federal level.


Sources in PPP and MQM said leadership of both the parties have similar stance on judges' issues and they are also stressing the need for avoiding politics of the confrontation. The PPP assured MQM leaders that after taking PML-N Quaid into confidence, the Muttahida would be given two ministries and state ministries as well in the federal government.


It may be noted here that earlier the major coalition parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Awami National Party had expressed their reservations over the PPP-MQM relationship.


They had asked the PPP leadership not to include the MQM in the coalition, especially in the federal government. Political pundits say that after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz decision to quit the coalition government, there are strong chances that MQM would be given more ministries in the federal government.


MQM parliamentary leader in the Sindh Assembly Syed Sardar Ahmed had said that power-sharing talks remained successful between PPP and MQM and the Mutahhida unconditionally supported the PPP government in the larger interest of the country.


He said that this support would be continued and that he was not in any position to say at the moment that when MQM lawmakers would join the federal Cabinet. He added that MQM wanted to end the gap between rural and urban Sindh and to make people of the Sindh prosperous.


Insiders in MQM said the Muttahida having 25 members in NA has the right to get five ministries in the federal government instead of some slots of various committees of the House. They said that party has conveyed to Pakistan People's Party leadership as the Muttahida Qaumi Movement has secured 25 NA seats and therefore as per power-sharing formula it should be given five federal ministries.