PM to decide makeup of grievances panel

MQM, govt teams leave two points of disagreement for the premier to decide

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to settle the two points of disagreement between Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and government’s negotiation teams during a meeting expected on Thursday (today), The Express Tribune has learnt.

According to sources, the premier was expected to give go-ahead to notify the grievances committee MQM has demanded and also to decide on who heads it.

MQM has demanded Grievances Redressal Committee (GRC) among other conditions to withdraw its resignations from National Assembly, Senate and the Sindh Assembly.

The PM, before leaving for Kazakhstan, had given a three-day deadline to the negotiators of government and MQM to reach a conclusion on composition of GRC, its scope, terms of reference and time period, sources said.

The most important point which PM Nawaz would decide during his meeting with the MQM delegation would be the composition of the committee, sources said.

The sources said that neither government nor MQM agreed on head of the proposed GRC and its members. They said that MQM wanted retired judges like Nasir Aslam Zahid to head the GRC. However, the government team insisted that political forces should have the lead role. However sources said that MQM did not accept government’s option and asked that let this point be left for the PM to decide.

According to sources, the premier, after discussion, would give nod about the committee’s composition. If both issues are settled, MQM would announce withdrawal of resignations on Thursday (today), sources said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th, 2015.