PPP-MQM leaders thrash thorny issues

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.