ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: The newly-appointed parliamentary leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Farooq Sattar, has said the issue of the resignation of Federal Minister for Communications Ahmed Ali has been closed and he has been asked to continue work in the cabinet.

Talking to newsmen at an Iftar dinner which he hosted for journalists here on Tuesday, Mr Sattar said the minister had submitted his resignation on the instructions of the party.

“Now the party has asked him to continue to work as minister.” He said the MQM observed strict discipline and Mr Ali had submitted his resignation to the prime minister in observance of the discipline. He denied any rift within the party or with the government on any issue. He said the MQM was working to bring a change in the present system so that the common man could get the fruits of democracy.

Another MQM MNA, Kunwar Khalid Yunus, said the recent meeting of all the four chief ministers in Lahore was a big development in which various important issues were discussed in length.

He said in the meeting, it had been decided that in future all water projects would be initiated only after getting consent of all the provinces.