Not being consulted on important issues, MQM complains to PM

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday and complained that the party was not being consulted on important national issues.

According to the party sources, the prime minister met the MQM delegation as part of the consultative process for the formation of a caretaker setup in the country, following the dissolution of assemblies next month.

MQM Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui led the delegation, while Federal Minister for Information Technology Aminul Haq, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, Dr Farooq Sattar and Mustafa Kamal were other members of the team. Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq were also present.

In the meeting with the premier, the delegation referred to the dissolution of assemblies being planned by two main coalition partners, saying the MQM was an important ally in the ruling coalition, but it was not taken on board on the crucial issue.

A statement issued by the PM Media Wing said the two sides held consultations over the caretaker setup and the recently concluded census. The official statement said the MQM delegation also thanked the prime minister for personally monitoring ongoing development projects and urged him to ensure their timely completion. The MQM leaders also appreciated the efforts of the prime minister and his economic team for reaching the stand-by-agreement with the IMF.

Sources said the MQM delegation demanded notifying the census results, saying the next general election should be held on the basis of the new census, and not the 2017 census results.

The MQM leaders proposed the name of a former commissioner Karachi Shoaib Siddiqui as the Sindh caretaker chief minister. The decision in this regard would be taken through consultation between the leader of the house and the leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly.