New LG Law: Zardari, Altaf greet each other

MQM chief and presid­ent meet privat­ely for two hours to discus­s issues of mutual intere­st.

KARACHI:

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain met President Asif Ali Zardari at London’s Churchill Hotel on Monday to discuss a range of issues.

According to a statement issued by the MQM, the meeting lasted for three-and-a-half hours with Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan and Interior Minister Rehman Malik in attendance amongst others.

Members of the MQM’s Coordination Committee were present in the first hour-and-a-half of the meeting, during which the problems in Balochistan, the political and economic situation, bar on holding dual citizenship to contest elections, local government, security conditions and the devastation caused by floods were among the issues discussed.

The MQM chief and the president met privately for the latter two hours of the meeting to discuss issues of mutual interest. The MQM is said to have been irked by reports suggesting that Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, who resigned from his post as PPP’s vice president following scathing criticism of the former’s leadership, is making a comeback into politics.

President Zardari and Altaf agreed that the clash and tension of institutions was not in the interest of the country and the democratic system, which is why all institutions must work within their defined parameters.

The MQM chief said that economic stability was the key for the country and the government must focus on the security conditions to ensure this. He also told the president that the Balochistan issue needed to be resolved through talks, not force. According to the MQM, President Zardari agreed with Altaf and briefed him on the government’s efforts in this regard.

With regard to dual citizenship – which has recently caused a number of legislators to be disqualified by the Supreme Court – the president said they would try to pass the legislation with the support of the MQM and the Pakistan Peoples Party.

The leaders also congratulated each other on the passage of the local government ordinance for Sindh and termed it an important and historic step.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2012.