ISLAMABAD, Jan 9: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday denied cracks in the ruling coalition, saying that misunderstandings of an important coalition partner had been removed.
He was talking to newsmen after the launch of “The Gateway Paper on Health Systems in Pakistan: A Way Forward”. The paper has been prepared by Pakistan’s Health Policy Forum, a recently established think tank designed to stimulate and assist in the development health policies.
“There was a misunderstanding that has been removed through talks,” the prime minister said, in reference to President Pervez Musharraf’s telephonic conversation with MQM chief Altaf Hussain.
He said the ruling party and its allies “have a common objective” of undertaking the country’s development and ensuring welfare of the people.
He said the reservations of the allies on various issues were discussed in accordance with the principles of democracy.
The prime minister avoided taking more questions on whether the decision to construct Kalabagh dam had been abandoned.
The MQM had issued an ultimatum to quit the ruling coalition on January 14, if the idea of Kalabagh dam was not dropped and military operation in Balochistan was not stopped by January 13.
The decision taken at an extraordinary meeting of the coordination committee held simultaneously in Azizabad, Karachi, and the party’s international secretariat in London, was followed by long telephonic conversations of President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz with MQM chief Altaf Hussain, resulting in the withdrawal of the ultimatum.
