August 13, 2008	Wednesday	Sha’aban 10, 1429

KARACHI, Aug 12: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has thrown its support behind President Pervez Musharraf and declined Pakistan People’s Party’s request to stay ‘neutral’ during the impeachment process.

Sources in the party told Dawn that the decision was taken during a meeting of the party’s coordination committee in Karachi and London on Tuesday. The meeting reviewed the ruling coalition’s decision to bring an impeachment motion against President Musharraf and also noted that the PPP had not taken the decision to impeach the president in consultation with the MQM.

The sources said the MQM’s legislators would oppose the impeachment motion in the National Assembly and the Senate. The decision was endorsed by party chief Altaf Hussain.

The MQM, the sources said, believed that it was its “duty to stay with President Musharraf, particularly in such a testing time”.

No official announcement was made and the party had still not disclosed how it would proceed during the Sindh Assembly’s Wednesday session in which PPP lawmakers are set to table a resolution requiring President Musharraf to seek a confidence vote or face impeachment. However, it has been learnt that the MQM lawmakers would abstain from voting in Sindh Assembly.