PM Imran assures MQM-P of fulfilling all valid demands

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan assured Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on Monday that the party's valid demands will be fulfilled, a day after the disgruntled leader quit the federal cabinet over unrequited promises.

PM Imran Khan contacted the MQM-P leader and also summoned him to Islamabad. During the conversation today, Siddiqui put forth his reservations in front of the premier who assured the former that the coalition partner's issues will be addressed.

PM Imran spoke on the matter during the media strategy committee session today, where he said that the demands of the MQM-P related to release of funds, development works, and establishment of educational institutions will be met soon. 

Meanwhile,  Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Jahangir Tareen also spoke with Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui in a bid to coalesce the disgruntled coalition partner .

MQM-P’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui declines PTI's offer to rejoin federal cabinet

Earlier on Monday, the PTI leaders failed to convince MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to reconsider his decision to leave the federal cabinet.

Talking to media after meeting the MQM-P leadership, federal minister Asad Umar said that "it is our wish that Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui remains a part of the cabinet, however, he is not ready to take back his decision."

Umar said that a joint strategy has been formed "to move forward for Karachi’s betterment",  as he told MQM-P that "it is better that both the parties work jointly."

He said that Karachi’s mega projects would be completed soon and Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit the metropolis for their inauguration.

The former  finance minister assured MQM-P that the federal government is committed to improve Karachi’s infrastructure, for which a special package was announced.

“There are two major problems of Karachi: clean drinking water and transport," he explained.

“Work is underway on K-IV and a technical committee of Sindh is reviewing the report prepared by NESPAK, after which the centre will release the committed funds for its completion."

The MQM-P on Sunday gave the PTI government in the centre a jolt as Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui announced his decision to leave the federal cabinet over “unfulfilled promises”.

MQM-P wants govt to eke out another ministry: sources

However, the MQM-P’s key leaders told The News that the party’s recent move was a part of pressurising the federal government to give it another ministry because, the party believes, Farogh Naseem, Minister for Law and Justice, has been solely working on the behalf of federal government and helping them as a competent lawyer, instead of working as a representative of the MQM-P in the federal cabinet.

Following the bombshell announcement, Prime Minister Imran Khan tasked PTI’s Karachi leaders to meet the MQM-P leaders and address their grievances.

Khalid Maqbool unhappy with Tania Aidrus

According to sources, Khalid Maqbool was extremely unhappy with his ministry due to continuous intervention of Tania Aidrus, who is leading Digital Pakistan initiative.

The close sources of Khalid Maqbool Sidiqui said that he felt stranger in his ministry while Tania Aidrus had started holding meetings with prime minister and heads of other institutions directly and besides it she also issued directions to those institutions which are responsible for running the affairs of the ministry and Federal Secretary Shoaib Siddiqui complained several times in this regard.