April 14, 2008	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 7, 1429

KARACHI, April 13: Pakistan People’s Party leader and Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri on Sunday appealed to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement leadership to review its decision of sitting in the opposition. She urged the party to join hands with the PPP in the larger interest of Sindh province and the country.

Addressing a press conference here, Ms Marri said the PPP believed in politics of reconciliation which had been the vision of Ms Benazir Bhutto and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari was pursuing the same vision.

For that reason, she said, the PPP, despite being the single largest party in the country, had embarked upon a plan to take all parties along and form a national coalition government.

She said Mr Zardari would soon be leaving for London to meet MQM chief Altaf Hussain because the PPP would like to work with all parties for peace, prosperity and development of the province.

She said that the posting of an officer was a petty issue and if the MQM had some proof against the officer, it should give it to the PPP, because his mere presence at a time the crime was committed could not prove his involvement in it.

She said allegations levelled against new Sindh IG Shoaib Suddle had never been proved in any court of law.

Defending the appointment of Dr Suddle, Ms Marri said he was an upright officer and he had been posted on merit to restore law and order and to end street crimes like snatching of cell phones and cars and robberies in Karachi.

The PPP leader said that in the larger interest of the country, Ms Benazir Bhutto had started the process of reconciliation with Gen Pervez Musharraf and it was the same spirit that Mr Zardari, being head of the largest political party, had visited the MQM headquarters ‘Nine Zero’ and exchanged his cap with Dr Farooq Sattar, which was a symbol of great honour. This gesture, she claimed, had been greatly appreciated by the people of Sindh.

“If the MQM reacts on petty issues like transfers and postings of some officials, it would hurt feelings of the people of Sindh. Therefore, I would appeal to brothers of the MQM not to sit in the opposition and continue talks with the PPP to promote peace and prosperity in Sindh and Pakistan.

“For God’s sake, forget the petty differences and objections and join hands to turn the province into a cradle of peace so that our children can live in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity,” Ms Marri said.

She said the MQM’s reaction could be the result of some misunderstanding which could be addressed.

When asked if the talks had failed because of differences over the number of ministries and the governor’s office, the PPP leader said had it been so the MQM would have mentioned the issues in the press conference. But it only raised the issue of appointment of Dr Suddle.

The other issue raised by the MQM, she said, was the absence of senior PPP leadership in the Garhi Khuda Bux to receive the MQM delegation which visited the graves of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto to offer fateha.

Ms Marri said that although the PPP appreciated the spirit behind the MQM visit, “we were in mourning and it was not possible for us to accord them the same reception as they had given to the PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari during his visit to Nine Zero because it was not a festive occasion”.