Pakistan Views

Pakistan People’s Party co-chairamn Asif Ali Zardari and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain met in London on late Friday night, According to the channel Advisor to PM on interior Affairs Rehman Malik, Hussain Haqqani, Saleem Shehzad and other were also present in the meeting. Both the leaders met in a hotel in London near Hide Park and discussed matters relating to restoration of deposed judges, national interests, price hike, law and order situation, the channel reported.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Quaid Altaf Hussain has said that Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s statement and views on resolving the judicial crisis were not only absolutely in line with the truth (Haqparastana), but also exactly in accordance with the principles of Islam, law, constitution and justice. In a handout released here, MQM Quaid Altaf Hussain, hailing the courageous statement and views of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) leader, Maulana Fazlur Rahman, said that his statement and views were not only truthful, but also exactly in consonance with the principles of Islam, law, constitution and justice. He said that 98 percent poor and the middle class people were already suffering from the agonies of mental and social problems due to price-hikes and extreme shortage of gas and electricity, while on the other hand some political elements were busy in formulating their future line of action based on confrontation on the issue of judicial crisis, which would further pile miseries on the millions of hapless starving people. Altaf Hussain, therefore, urged for seriously considering the proposals of Maulana Fazlur Rahman for resolving the judicial crisis.

The number of Sindh cabinet members reached to 41 from 21 on Friday when 13 member of provincial assembly (MPAs) from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and seven from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) were administered oath by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad. The MQM also announced portfolios for its newly sworn-in ministers. The newly inducted ministers included Shoaib Ahmed Bukhari, Faisal Sabzwari, Rauf Siddiqi, Muhammad Adil Siddiqui, Nadia Gabol, Dr Sagheer Ahmed, Khalid Bin Wilayat, Dr Muhammed Ali Shah, Sheikh Mohammed Afzal, Zubair Ahmed Khan, Mohammed Raza Haroon, Askari Taqi and Abdul Haseeb from the MQM and Makhdooom Jameel-u-Zaman, Rafiq Engineer, Ali Mardan Shah, Zahid Hussain Bhurgari, Ali Nawaz Shah Rizvi, Agha Temoor and Dr Mohan Lal from the PPP.The new ministers took the solemn promise at the Sindh Governor House on Friday. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah was also present on the occasion. The swearing-in ceremony was attended, among others, by provincial ministers, MNAs, MPAs, Deputy Convenor MQM Rabita Committee Dr Farooq Sattar, Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman, provincial secretaries, provincial ombudsman, representatives of the forces, industrialists, notables and senior local PPP leaders.After the oath-taking ceremony, conducted by Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman, the new ministers had a briefing session with the governor and chief minister. MQM ministers portfolios: According to an MQM statement issued here on Friday Rauf Siddiqi would take over as provincial minister for Trade and Industry, Syed Shoaib Ahmed Bukhari for Bureau of Supply and Prices, Faisal Sabzwari for Youth Affairs, Adil Siddiqi for Public Health Engineering, Nadia Gabol for Human Rights, Dr Muhammad Ali Shah for Sports, Dr Sagheer Ahmed for Health, Zubair Ahmed Khan for Rural Development, Askari Taqi for Environment and Alternate Energy, Abdul Haseeb for Auqaf and Muhammad Raza Haroon for Information Technology. The MQM has, however, not assigned any portfolio to its two ministers, Khalid Bin Wilayat and Sheikh Mohammed Afzal.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has demanded of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to grant provincial autonomy to four federating units of the country.The demand came from MQM’s self-exiled leader Altaf Hussain while addressing a general workers session at party headquarters, Nine-Zero, on Friday night.Altaf congratulating the newly sworn-in MQM provincial ministries clarified that his party had joined hands with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Sindh for establishing peace and abolishing rural-urban divisions in the province and not for getting ministries.Linking prosperity and peace of the country with a peaceful Sindh province the MQM leader said the new coalition in Sindh would jointly fight for long-denied rights of the province like National Finance Commission Award (NFC) etc.He said the reconciliation process was primarily aimed at bringing the two major political parties, PPP and MQM, closer for strengthening and promoting democracy and peace and tranquillity in the province.Demanding due share for all four provinces in their resources, Altaf appealed to the prime minister to announce provincial autonomy for them which would create the sense of oneness among peripheries towards the federation.He referred to the developed countries like United States and Britain where each state had its own flags and rules and regulations but people were living with proud under a strong federation.Altaf urged the ministers to behave humbly, serve the people without any discrimination and keep away from corruption as the party had a well-known reputation to make its deficient and unscrupulous officials accountable.”Use your God-gifted abilities to serve the people without any discrimination or haughtiness,” he advised them. He asked the MQM ministers that they were not the ministers of Karachi but they had to serve the entire province.The MQM leader also asked them to visit graves of the slain PPP leaders including Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Shahnawaz Bhutto and others to offer “Fateha” for them in Larkana as soon as possible. In 1988, around 20 years back the MQM had three ministers and two advisors in the Sindh cabinet led by the then Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah. The number of MQM MPAs in Sindh assembly had stood at 23 with a Sindh governor not from the Movement.In 2008, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement has 13 ministers, one advisor and one special assistant in the Sindh cabinet this time again led by Syed Qaim Ali Shah. With Sindh Governor belonging to the MQM the number of MQM MPAs in Sindh Assembly stands at 51.

In a major development, 13 members of provincial assembly from Muttahida Qaumi Movement are joining Sindh Cabinet in a day or two. This development came after Pakistan People’s Party and MQM successfully finalised a power-sharing deal following a series of negotiations on formation of government in Sindh and the Center.PPP Parliamentary Leader in Sindh Assembly, Pir Mazharul Haq and MQM Coordination Committee Deputy Convenor Dr Farooq Sattar briefed journalists about the salient features of negotiations at a joint press conference at Chief Minister’s House on Wednesday.As per the power-sharing formula disclosed by Pir Mazhar, Muttahida Qaumi Movement would get 13 ministries including Health, Industries and Commerce, Information Technology, Environment and Alternate Energy, Sports, Youth Affairs, Rural Development, Public Health Engineering, Auqaf, Bureau of Supply and Prices and Human Rights besides one advisor and one special assistant. Remaining two ministers and advisor have not been assigned any portfolio.As regards the names of ministers, Pir Mazhar said that these will be finalised by MQM at their end. Dr Farooq said the MQM ministers would take oath in a day or two. To a query about the Sindh Governor, Dr Sattar said anyone could surmise his (governor’s) future in light of prevailing spirit behind the MQM-PPP relations, which ultimately led to successful reconciliation talks on Monday night at Governor House.Provincial Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza, who played a key role in the PPP-MQM talks, however, said: “The governor is now ours, no matter whoever he previously belonged to.” The PPP leader while terming the removal of misgivings essential for cohesion said reconciliation with MQM was the wish of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. To a query on the nature of MQM-PML-Q future relationship, Dr Farooq said Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had already welcomed the PPP-MQM reconciliation process during his recent visit to the party headquarters ‘90′.To a question that like MQM why the PPP leadership had not taken its workers into confidence on reconciliation process with the former, Mazhar said the PPP had its own democratic mechanism and the party had authorised its Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari for making all the decisions.Leaders from the two sides expressed the hope that the new political alliance would best serve the poverty-stricken people of Sindh and would now focus on the power-sharing process in federal government.With the inclusion of the 13 MQM MPAs, the number of Sindh Cabinet members will reach 34. In Sindh Assembly, 51 MQM MPAs would shift to the treasury benches leaving 19 members, nine from Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), eight from Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and two from National People’s Party (NPP), on the opposition benches.The treasury side in Sindh Assembly will have 142 members in total viz 89 from PPP, 51 from MQM and two from the Awami National Party. Sindh Information Minister Shazia Mari, MPA Murad Ali Shah, former federal ports and shipping minister Babar Ghauri and other PPP and MQM leaders were also present on the occasion.

Parliamentary Leader of Pakistan People’s Party in Sindh Assembly and senior minister Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq has said that dialogue and reconciliation with MQM was the wish of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto adding that removing mutual misgivings is essential for progress of the country. Addressing a joint press conference with MQM leader Farooq Sattar, Pir Mazhar said, “our people are impoverished and jobless and we have to generate jobs for them”. He said People’s Party and MQM would jointly work for the welfare of the people of the province. Pir Mazhar said that power sharing with MQM would help to resolve the problems of the people. Farooq Sattar talking in the news conference said the MQM has decided to join the Sindh government after negotiations with the People’s Party, “ we want amicable relations with PPP to resolve the problems of the masses.”“The MQM ministers would take oath in a day or two,” he added.

Sindh Governor, Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan and Sindh Home Minister, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza finalised the process of reconciliation between Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) at a meeting held Tuesday at Governor House here. The meeting decided that both the parties will co-operate with each other, said a statement received from the Governor House. Giving details it said, MQM will be given 13 ministries, one advisor and one special assistant in the provincial cabinet. The MQM-affiliated ministers will take oath of their offices soon while the nazims of the MQM will continue to work.

Pakistan People’s Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Monday reached over a power sharing deal in Sindh, sources said.According to the sources under the power sharing deal eight MQM ministers and five advisors would take oath on this Friday.Co-chairman of Pakistan People’s Party Asif Ali Zardari has signed over the deal.Muttahida has not yet announced about its expected ministers and advisors in Sindh coalition government. The names of the cabinet members would be announced within next 24 hours, sources added.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad met here on Saturday night.Both the leaders discussed the various issues including national affairs and political situation in Sindh.During the meeting with Sindh governor, Fazlur Rehman talked to MQM Chief Altaf Hussain by phone for an hour. In his telephonic conversation, Maulana appreciated the efforts of Sindh governor for the ongoing reconciliation process in Sindh and the country.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain said that his party will continue giving unconditional support to every government positive step for the stability of the democracy, national reconciliation and peace in Karachi and Interior Sindh.According to statement issued from London, Altaf Hussain and Federal Interior Advisor Rehman Malik had detailed discussion on phone.The conversation included discussion on improvement of MQM-PPP relations, political situation in the country and other political affairs.Altaf Hussain said MQM would continue supporting every positive step of the government for peace and the resolution of the people’s problems in Sindh, stability of the democracy and the solidarity of the country.Rehman Malik said the both the parties are coming near and it is positive step on the part of both parties, which is a welcome sign for the whole country, not only for Sindh.
He ensured that the terrorists involved in the killings of the MQM workers would be arrested and no one would be allowed to spoil the peace in the city.