April 23, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 16, 1429

ISLAMABAD, April 22: Talks between the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan People’s Party on Tuesday remained inconclusive with the MQM demanding 40 per cent or 15 ministries in Sindh while the PPP offering 25 per cent.

Sources told Dawn that the MQM team had told the PPP negotiators that they would return after consulting with party chief Altaf Hussain.

Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, who arrived here on Monday, called on President Pervez Musharraf at his camp office, the sources said.

The four-member MQM team is being led by the party’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Dr Farooq Sattar.

Talking to reporters after the meeting at the Sindh House, Dr Sattar termed the talks ‘healthy and fruitful’ but inconclusive.

He said that after the three-hour talks, both sides had agreed on the need for a stronger working relationship but it did not mean that they had agreed on a power-sharing formula.

MQM’s team includes Babar Ghauri, Haider Abbas Rizvi, Iqbal Mohammad Ali and the PPP team comprises Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Pir Mazharul Haq, Nisar Khuhro, Naveed Qamar, Zulfikar Mirza and Manzoor Wassan.

The MQM team which visited the Zardari House could not meet the PPP co-chairman because of his engagement with PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and others.

Dr Sattar said the meeting could take place on Friday or Saturday.

He said: “Whatever the result and notwithstanding which side our parliamentary group sits in the National Assembly or the Sindh assembly, we have agreed today that strong relations between the two parties were imperative.” Dr Sattar said both sides had discussed a power-sharing formula but its details would not be made public “till a clear picture emerges after further negotiations”.