July 12, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 8, 1429

KARACHI, July 11: In view of the recent wave of soaring prices of essential commodities in the country, the majority of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders, currently meeting in London, are not in favour of joining the Pakistan People’s Party-led government in the centre, it is learnt.

However, a final decision in this regard is yet to be taken as an important meeting of the party’s coordination committee is still under way in London to discuss several vital issues facing the country. The Karachi-based members of the MQM’s coordination committee, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, and City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, are also participating in the meeting.

Sources privy to the meeting told Dawn that the issue of joining the PPP-led federal government also came under discussion during the meeting and the majority of the participants had expressed their reservations over joining the federal government reportedly owing to its growing unpopularity among the masses.

According to sources, a number of Muttahida leaders were of the view that some tough decisions of the present government, including an increase in the prices of petroleum products, rise in electricity tariff and abolition of subsidies on several goods, had caused a record price hike making the PPP government unpopular in the eyes of the public.

However, the sources said that it was a prevalent view that the process of reconciliation between the MQM and PPP should continue and in case of any eventuality, the former would wholeheartedly support the PPP government at the centre.

They said that as a matter of policy, the MQM did not want to damage its relations with the PPP and, therefore, it had directed all the elected representatives not to give any provocative statements against the PPP or even its provincial leadership.

They said that besides other issues, problems being faced by the provincial ministers and the MQM-backed nazims also came under discussion and the participants were of the view that the two sides must reconcile even at the grass-roots level.A senior leader of the party, who wished not to be named, told Dawn that the meeting had been convened to consult the party leaders on various political and internal issues and any decision on any matter would only be taken by the MQM chief, Altaf Hussain. “Consultations are going on and the outcome of the meeting will soon be made public,” he added.