KARACHI: Fahim meets MQM leaders today: Formation of governments
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, Oct 27: People’s Party Parliamentarians chief Makhdoom Amin Fahim will hold talks with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement leaders on the future setup at the centre and in the province, at Nine-Zero on Monday afternoon.
The meeting will take place in the backdrop of the contacts made by PPP’s Nisar Khuhro with the MQM leaders.
Informed sources said that despite the realisation on both the sides of the negative fallout of their past mistakes and the need for burying the hatchet, it would be a great breakthrough for the province if they overcame the “psychological impediments” in their future cooperation.
Although, in terms of real politik, analysts believe that the MQM was justified in waiting for a settlement at the centre to crystallise before they decided about the provincial arrangement.
Sources in the MQM said they were still waiting for any positive response to its convener Dr Imran Farooq’s interview in which he had said that the PPP and the MQM could provide stability to the province.
Political sources are attaching great significance to Mr Fahim’s planned meeting with the MQM in view of his “chance meeting” with Gen Pervez Musharraf on Sunday.
Although not much can be read into that meeting, they said the President, who requires massive security cordon, would not have gone out to a public place unless he had something really up his sleeves.
They maintain that the ball is now in the court of Gen Musharraf and it would be seen what he has offered to Mr Fahim “to cross the bridge”. They believe that unless the General makes more conciliatory gesture, there is hardly anything Fahim can offer, especially due to pro-PML (Q) policies of the regime.
Highly-placed PPP sources were, however, not prepared to read much in the meeting at Margalla Hilltop Hotel, but conceded that the “chance meeting” might have been the handiwork of some power brokers.
Meanwhile, in another development in Sindh, according to sources, former chief minister Liaquat Jatoi met Pir Pagara at the latter’s Kingri House residence, perhaps in a bid to muster support for the top slot for himself in the province.
When PML (Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had met the MQM delegations here, it was hinted by PML (Q) insiders that both Liaquat Jatoi and Ghous Bux Mehar had been advised to retain their National Assembly seats in view of the power politics at the centre.
