Junior partner to be offered six to seven ministries and assurances on the local government system.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has formally invited the Muttahida Qaumi Movement to renew their alliance in Sindh and offered to address its ex-ally’s main sticking point: local government.
A party panel comprising Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Khursheed Shah and Qaim Ali Shah will flesh out a power sharing agreement. Committee members are due to meet representatives of their former ally following President Asif Ali Zardari’ s arrival in Karachi this week.
In the aftermath of the May 11 polls, the PPP suffered a resounding defeat at the centre, but managed to retain its position as the largest party in Sindh by winning a simple majority.
Sources within the PPP told The Express Tribune that a power sharing formula would be finalised and MQM would be given a firm assurance on the local government system. “The PPP will retain around a dozen portfolios but will allocate six to seven ministries to the MQM,” said a senior PPP leader.
Sources said that the MQM is expected to retain ministries that were held by the party during the last term. “Altaf Hussain and President Zardari have talked to each other on the issue and the committee will carve out a power-sharing deal,” said a PPP leader on the condition of anonymity.
Commenting on the prospects of a future alliance, MQM leader Wasim Aftab said, “We have not received any invitation from the PPP and it would be premature to comment whether we are going to join the coalition government.
Aftab, however, said his party would welcome any such overture from the PPP as it believed in dialogue.
PPP Parliamentarians chief Makhdoom Amin Fahim insisted that his party had invited the MQM to join the new provincial set-up. “Both the PPP and the MQM have delivered in the past five years and that is why the people have given them a mandate.”
“We have worked in a friendly environment and will continue to do so for the next five years,” he said adding that the PPP and the MQM would enter into negotiations soon to form the government.
Meanwhile, leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional said that though they had not decided to form an alliance with the PPP, they would prefer to sit on the opposition benches. “Everything is possible in politics, but neither has the PPP invited us nor is the PML-F willing to join the Sindh government,” said Kashif Nizami, the party’s chief organiser.
Sources privy to the development said a meeting was held between PML-F chief Pir Pagara and PTI vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Both the parties have decided to back each other on the opposition benches.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 24th, 2013.
COMMENTS (17)
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The people of Pakistan by reducing both these parties to sindh have left no other choice to join hands and andwork togather. Pnjab wants the right to vote for thier favourite parties but for sindh they want the people to vote also for parties of thier choice and just follow thier dictation otherwise they are not loyal to the country.
another five years of murders and deaths in karachi shrif.
MQM must be extra carefull before getting into govt as coilation partner with PPP, as PPP put major damaged to MQM than others in very smart way. QET altaf hussain shuld involve people of karachi in this decision.
last chance to MQM to deliver otherwise be ready to become history
Woo into alliance may not be the right phrase. More like herded into an alliance.
I you don't learn from your previous mistakes, then you have only yourself to blame.
MQM, pls sit in opposition. It is much easier to force PPP to hold local bodies election that way. We need you to deliver this time, this is the last chance. We would love you to be successful, all the best.
MQM shouldnt join the Government till the time PPP holds the local body elections.
Local government is the key to maintaining peace and progress in Karachi. MQM has sacrificed much of it's vote bank to attain this goal for Karachi. Long live MQM.
PPPP and MQM are always making people fool and the residents always except it. It is a miserable situation that both the parties split before polls to make an interm government of their favor. Now again they would make billions in corruption and life of the people would be degradable.
Firstly, let the MQM sort out the intractable mess it made for itself. After that, they can decide what to do with PPP's offer. Salams
MQM will once again prove that it is power hungry and pre-election split with PPPP was a staged drama.
People will not forget it in next election
MQM will and has always got into alliances with any political party just to be in power.I wonder why the ministry of shipping has ever been held by this party.
Once again you scratch my back and scratch yours where is the change i think this is the last chance for the CHIEF to deliver good things to Karachi like they did when mushi was there.
its 0 + 0 = 0, power sharing? that's what they have been doing in last 5 years and we can see where sind is now.
MQM will and has always got into alliance with any political party just to be in power.I wonder why the ministry of shipping has ever been held by this party.