ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has directed the Pakistan People’s Party to take all-out measures to keep the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in the coalition.
The president was chairing a meeting of the PPP Core Committee on Tuesday that took stock of the current political and economical situation of the country and decided to carry on with the new party strategy adopted around two weeks ago. The meeting discussed in length the violence in Karachi, the judiciary-executive relations and also reviewed the situation in flood-hit areas.
“A minister from Sindh said there were chances that MQM may part ways with the government and they would use the Karachi unrest as an excuse for that. The president endorsed his views and said all efforts would be made to keep the MQM in the coalition,” sources informed Pakistan Today. The meeting approved in principle the government’s strategy devised to deal with the important cases pending in superior courts.
“Some participants were of the view that Law Minister Babar Awan should not use derogatory language against the apex court’s judges. However, the president advocated the use of such a language, which according to him was bringing desired results. A majority of participants supported the idea,” the source added.
The president also praised Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s address to the nation, saying the speech had worked, the sources said. Another source said a minister criticised the role of ANP, saying the PPP should pacify the party leadership, as the use of indecent language by some ANP leaders, as well as Sindh Interior Minister Zulfiqar Mirza, was creating an impression that the PPP and ANP had joined hands against the MQM.
However, the president said ANP was a strategic partner and they should not question its role. The sources said Zardari directed Interior Minister Rehman Malik to submit a comprehensive report on the situation in Karachi and asked Malik to keep in touch with MQM chief Altaf Hussain and assure him of action against the perpetrators of killings in Karachi. The participants put forward their suggestions on various issues discussed in the meeting.
Prime Minister Gilani briefed the meeting on the overall political and law and order situation across the country. He also directed that those behind the present spree of targeted killings be apprehended and brought to justice, regardless of their political affiliations, an official handout issued late night said.
Federal Ministers Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Syed Naveed Qamar, Rehman Malik and Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Secretary General PPP Jahangir Badr, Senator Faisal Raza Abidi, Mehreen Anwar Raja, Rukhsana Bangash, Fouzia Wahab, Fouzia Habib and president’s spokesperson Farhatullah Babar attended the meeting.
