September 23, 2007	Sunday	Ramazan 10, 1428

LONDON, Sept 22: The MQM has decided to field candidates from all over the country in the forthcoming general elections but postponed a decision on electoral alliance with other parties.

The MQM Coordination Committee which met here on Friday at the party’s international secretariat with Altaf Hussain in the chair also decided to hold a joint session of the committee in London and Pakistan soon after the decision of the Supreme Court to formulate the party’s future line of action.

According to a press release issued by the party headquarters here the committee also briefed Mr Hussain on the details of its meetings with other parties (perhaps for election alliance), the presidential elections, party preparations with regard to general elections and conveyed to him the suggestions and recommendations in regard to these matters from various wings of the party including units, sectors, and zones.

The eight-hour long meeting also decided to issue instructions to all the ‘Haq Parast’ members of the national and provincial assemblies and Senate to raise their voice over the steep rise in prices and send their resolutions in this connection to the federal government.

Mr Hussain appealed to the government to award inflation allowance along with the wages to employees before Eid and also to reduce the sentences of convicts, thus enabling a lot of them to spend Eid with their families.

The session also demanded of the federal government to take notice of the rising inflation in the month of Ramazan, causing hardship to the poor people of the country as they are finding it extremely difficult to even afford a decent Iftar.

Referring to the shortage of flour the committee asked the federal government to take immediate steps to meet the challenge and suggested that the provincial government be allowed to import wheat and take necessary action in this regard.

The committee also asked the government to check to see if the wholesale sector was hoarding flour and take necessary actions against the offenders. Mr Hussain appealed to such elements not to do so.

The session was attended by MQM Convenor Dr Imran Farooq, Senior Deputy Convenor Tariq Jawaid, Deputy Convenor Dr Farooq Sattar, members of Coordination Committee Salim Shahzad, Mohammad Anwar, Syed Tariq Meer, Asif Siddiqui, Javed Kazmi, Mustafa Azizabadi, member of Coordination Committee and federal Minister Babar Ghauri, Provincial Minister Rauf Siddiqui, Provincial Advisers M.A. Jalil and Dr Ayub Sheikh and City Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil.