Rumours swirl over PPP-MQM rapprochement

Muttahida says it has not decided to join Sindh govt; PPP denies making any offer to MQM.

KARACHI:

Amid widespread speculation that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was going to join the Sindh government once again, the party has said it has no such plans.

The speculations were triggered by a meeting between an MQM delegation and PPP leaders, including Asif Ali Zardari in the UAE. MQM Deputy Convener led the delegation which also included Babur Ghauri, Adil Siddiqui and Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad.

By Friday evening, the news broke on television channels that the MQM had turned down an offer from the PPP to join the Sindh government. Sharjeel Memon, the Sindh information minister, however claimed that no such offer had been made in the first place.

“The UAE meeting was arranged on the MQM request,” he told reporters on Friday. “The PPP had asked the MQM to join the Sindh government some time back, but a power-sharing formula in this regard was not on the [UAE] meeting’s agenda,” he added.

“We respect the MQM’s mandate and the PPP being a democratic party believes in dialogue for promoting a democratic culture and good governance … this [the UAE] meeting was meant for that purpose.”



However, MQM’s official version states, “The MQM has not decided to join the government. There is no truth in the news reports.”

A party leader said that for the time being, the MQM has no intention of forming a coalition government with the PPP. “No decision is under consideration at the moment. Let’s see what happens in the future.”

The meeting is being regarded as one of routine by both parties. “As a democratic party, we engage in meetings with other political parties,” an MQM official added.

Party sources say that the MQM has issues over the delimitation of constituencies in Sindh, which Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah is emphasising on before the local bodies’ election.

Another issue of contention are the Lyari gangsters as the MQM accuses some PPP leaders of being the patrons of the gangs, particularly the outlawed Peoples Amn Committee.

The MQM also accuses the PPP of turning the current operation against them and targeting the party’s activists.

MQM workers also do not want the political party to be part of the provincial government as it has bad memories of the previous coalition government’s poor performance.

In July, when rumours floated of the PPP and the MQM becoming coalition partners again, the latter held a public referendum, seeking the opinion of its workers and cadre. Around 78% of its workers and members had voted against the decision.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2013.