KARACHI:The Rabita (Coordination) Committee of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Monday decided to quit the federal cabinet. However, the party will not sit on the opposition benches in the National Assembly.The decision was made in a joint meeting of the committee held in London and Karachi simultaneously. According to the decision, Federal Minster for Overseas Pakistanis Dr Farooq Sattar and Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghauri will tender their resignations in the first phase. It was also decided in the meeting that the MQM would soon make a about leaving the Sindh government. The MQM is of the view that the PPP government did not consider the proposals presented for the welfare of the masses. “The decision is a result of the government’s ignorance towards its coalition partner,” the MQM said.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kaira said the MQM was an allied party and every effort would be made to address their grievances, as done earlier. Expressing the hope that the PPP will be able to woo back the coalition partner, he said they learnt about the decision through media, as the top leadership was busy in the ceremonies held in the connection with Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary. He said, “We will discuss the matter in a meeting after returning to Islamabad and ascertain how much capacity we have.”Kaira reiterated that the govt believed in the policy of reconciliation and wanted to move forward not only along with the allied but also the opposition parties.
On the other hand, President Asif Ali Zardari assigned Interior Minister Rehman Malik the task to persuade the MQM to withdraw the decision – Nation
