KARACHI – The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) announced its return to the treasury benches in the National Assembly after Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani visited the party headquarters Nine Zero on Friday. However, it is still not ready to join the federal cabinet.
Following the MQM’s decision, Gilani has regained his majority in the assembly. MQM leader Raza Haroon announced his party’s decision at a joint press conference with the prime minister and Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
Haroon said the MQM had decided to return to the treasury benches in the better interest of the country during a meeting of the MQM Rabita Committee in London and Karachi.
“Keeping in mind the sensitive position of the country and to uphold democracy, the MQM is ready to make a sacrifice,” he said, adding that even though the MQM would sit on the treasury benches, it wanted to make it clear that the party only supported the government’s positive steps and opposed negative ones.
Haroon said his party welcomed the prime minister’s initiative of reversing the increase in the prices of petroleum products and also the decision to postpone the reformed general sales tax (GST). “The MQM hopes that the government will take steps to curb corruption and also adopt simplicity,” he said. He said MQM chief Altaf Hussain and members of the party’s Rabita Committee had drawn the prime minister’s attention to the problems of the people and the latter has assured that they would be solved. The prime minister said the MQM was annoyed with the PPP after the POL price hike. He spoke to MQM chief Altaf Hussain on the phone on different issues including inflation and unemployment.
“Today is the first time I have come to Nine Zero. I am Altaf bhai’s guest at his house. Soon I will meet him. I am thankful to the MQM for their warm welcome,” Gilani said. “We and the Finance Ministry have to brief all parliamentary leaders of different parties on the issue of the reformed GST. Altaf Hussain has suspended Babar Ghauri’s resignation until my return from Oman. I am taking the criticism against the government positively. All political parties must sit together to negotiate and bring the accountability bill with consensus,” he said.
The prime minister assured the MQM that it would be consulted in every decision and legislation making process at the federal and provincial levels. He asked Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah to take on board all MQM ministers while making any important decision in the Sindh cabinet. He said the business community was very upset because of the differences between the MQM and the PPP, adding that the implementation of the GST bill had been postponed on the demand of the MQM and other parties.
During the prime minister’s telephonic conversation with Altaf, Gilani said, “We were, are and will remain with the MQM.” The MQM chief appealed to the prime minister to gear up to resolve the people’s problems.
The prime minister had arrived at Nine Zero along with the interior minister and the Sindh governor. Before coming to the MQM headquarters, Prime Minister Gilani also called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the Bilawal House. Gilani took Zardari into confidence on his planned meeting with the MQM leadership.
