Government, MQM yet to reach an agreement

Talks over Grievances Redressal Committee inconclusive

ISLAMABAD:

The government and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Tuesday held two long rounds of talks to address the latter’s concerns over the targeted operation in Karachi but failed to reach an agreement. The two sides will resume their negotiation today (Wednesday).

The MQM’s delegation led by Farooq Sattar and including Barrister Saif and Kanwar Naveed held meeting with government team – including Ishaq Dar, Pervaiz Rashid, Anusha Rehman and Barrister Zafarullah – at Punjab House.

A day earlier, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman had mediated between the two parties and said that the government had agreed to form a Grievances Redressal Committee (GRC) to address MQM’s concerns.

He said the MQM had given surety that after formation of such a committee, it would take back its resignations from the National Assembly, Senate and the Sindh Assembly.

The MQM delegation, which met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday night, had agreed that it would work with the government team to discuss ways to form the proposed committee in three days.

It was decided that after the prime minister returns from a two-day foreign trip both the government and the MQM teams will meet him to finalise the GRC.

Points of discussion

Sources said the MQM on Tuesday pushed the government to form a GRC which would work like a commission headed by a retired judge. It proposed to include retired technocrats and journalists in the committee. However, the government has so far not accepted this demand.

They said such GRC which would give the impression of being a supervisory body to monitor the ongoing targeted operation in the port city, will be a solution not acceptable to the stakeholders.

During the meeting, Dar suggested that composition of the GRC should be discussed in the end and proposed to first discuss the MQM grievances – a suggestion accepted by the MQM.

Later, the two teams discussed the MQM’s 20 point-agenda.  Legal experts also assisted both the teams. These legal teams are also working on the scope of the proposed GRC.

The MQM’s Kanwar Naveed said after agreeing on GRC they would withdraw their resignations.

Sources said if both the parties agree on any draft of the GRC then the MQM will consult Altaf Hussain and government will talk with stakeholders before the final meeting with the PM. Sources said if both teams do not reach an agreement then the JUI-F’s chief Fazl will again be called for mediation.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2015.