All patched up: ANP announces return to treasury benches in Sindh

ANP's only minister in the Sindh government, Ameer Nawab, will return to the Ministry of Labour.

KARACHI:

Six months after parting ways with government, the Awami National Party (ANP) rejoined the coalition government in Sindh on Wednesday.

The decision was taken during meeting held at Chief Minister House. The meeting was attended by Agha Siraj Durrani, Muhammad Ayaz Soomro and Rashid Rabbani of PPP and Rana Gul Afridi, Ameer Nawab and Younis Buneri of ANP.

The ANP had announced in September that they will discontinue to sit on the treasury benches in Sindh over the government's decision to promulgate the Sindh Peoples Local Government Ordinance 2012. The ANP, however, had retained its alliance with the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the central government.

“We parted ways with PPP government over the issue of SPLGO 2012. Since government has repealed the system and revived the SLGO 1979, we feel our concerns have now been redressed, therefore we are rejoining government,” the ANP's sole minister Ameer Nawab said after the meeting at the Chief Minister house on Wednesday. He added that he would soon rejoin his portfolio as labour minister.

After the ANP had parted ways with the PPP last September, its two MPAs, Ameer Nawab and Amanullah Mehsud, had been demanding they sit on opposition benches. The government though only allotted an opposition seat to Mehsud and asked Nawab was asked to sit on the treasury bench since he held a minister's portfolio.

Following Wednesday's patch up, both ANP members will now sit on the treasury benches.

Minister for Local Government Agha Siraj Durrani while talking to media congratulated the ANP leadership on behalf of President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, and hoped that the ANP and PPP will work together for the the larger interest of the country.