ISLAMABAD – The PPP has stepped up its efforts to woo MQM back into the government fold by giving some promises and assurances to the estranged coalition partner at the level of President Asif Ali Zardari.
Sources in the PPP informed TheNation that high-level contacts were made between the two sides and the MQM was again given assurances on amendments in the local bodies laws to alter the existing commissionerate system in the province and such other issues.
The sources further said to fine-tune the future arrangements between the parties Sindh Governor Dr Isharatul Ibad arrived here in Islamabad to have a meeting with President Zardari. Dr Ibad conveyed the message of MQM Quaid Altaf Hussain to the president and it was agreed that teams of both the parties would sit together in the coming days to look into the demands of MQM and would finalise some workable arrangement between the two sides, they added.
The sources in MQM said they were not averse to becoming the part of government and always left the coalition government only when they saw the PPP had not come up to the promises made with them.
On the other hand, some senior PPP leaders belonging to Sindh informed TheNation that there was strong resentment among majority of the PPP leaders belonging to Sindh that their party should not accept unreasonable demands of the MQM and resist the move to bring changes in the commissionerate system introduced in the province.
The sources said the PPP was supporting the commissionerate system and division of the Karachi into five districts only for bringing improvement in administration of the cosmopolitan city but certain vested interests did not want to see peace in the city.
Sources in the PPP said President Zardari was inclined to meet some of the MQM demands regarding fate and future of the local bodies set-up in the province but could not go to an extent to annoy his own party leaders who were all against keeping the district nazim system intact in the port city.
The PPP leadership just wanted to bring the MQM back in federal and provincial governments for which they could be given some relaxations, they added.
The sources further said the MQM wanted some concrete steps before they rejoin the coalition governments both at the Centre and Sindh. The government may announce some steps within few days on the recommendations of PPP-MQM committee to narrow down the differences between the two sides.
Meanwhile, a press release issued by the president’s media wing said Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad called on President Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Friday night. Law and order situation in Karachi was discussed during the meeting
