HYDERABAD, March 2: The president of the Sindh chapter of Pakistan People’s Party, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, on Sunday said that the preliminary round of PPP-MQM talks focussed on creating harmony in the province and did not discuss anything about formation of a coalition government.

Mr Shah said at a press conference at the residence of the party’s MPA-elect Syed Ali Nawaz Shah Rizvi that it was a preliminary round of talks and the two parties could not discuss any issue in detail.

He expressed the hope that the process set in motion by PPP would bear positive results. He tried to allay fears that MQM-PPP parleys could harm interests of the province.

He said that an MQM delegation would soon visit Bilawal House to carry the talks forward. MQM responded positively to PPP’s gesture of goodwill, which was aimed at creating harmony in the province, he said.

“People have great expectations from us and we will try our level best to live up to their expectations,” he said, adding that the party’s initiative for national reconciliation would strengthen the country.

Mr Shah said: “All the issues with political opponents are always settled through dialogue, which is an integral part of politics. Even late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto held talks with their opponents.”

Shah dismissed a question about possible failure of talks and said he was hopeful the process would go ahead. All the MPAs had been taken into confidence over the talks and the party’s Sindh Council would be informed about it, he said.

He disagreed with a journalist’s view that Altaf Hussain had responded negatively and said that on the contrary his attitude was very much positive. It was also wrong to say that the PPP’-MQM talks had eroded the party’s popularity, he said.

He said that people have voted for MQM in cities like Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Karachi and Nawabshah. “Both the communities have to live side by side in Sindh. So, it’s up to them whether they will co-exit with love or otherwise,” he said.

He dismissed notions about confusion among PPP leadership over nomination of Sindh chief minister and prime minister and said such insinuations would create ambiguity.

Even Election Commission had issued its final notification about winners on March 1, he said.

He said that ANP had appreciated PPP’s initiative with regard to MQM. The government was always dominated by majority party as was the case in India where Congress led the coalition, he said.

He said that the PPP would review local government system and might suggest some improvements in the system.