KARACHI, May 28: A six-member delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) called on President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Saturday and discussed various development projects of Karachi and other parts of the province. According to an official, the president emphasized the need for timely completion of development projects.

The president told the MQM representatives to play their role towards poverty alleviation. Muttahida’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Farooq Sattar, who headed the party delegation at the talks, later described the meeting as positive and successful.

Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, Dr Sattar said the president listened to the problems and solutions thereof proposed by the MQM’s delegation and assured of his and the federal government’s help and cooperation in this regard.

The MQM leader said they had also apprised Gen Musharraf about the problems of local bodies and civic issues of various districts like supply of potable water, sewerage system and the solid waste management system. He said the MQM had already got a Rs1 billion package from the prime minister for Karachi which would be utilized by December 2005.

The delegation included MQM’s deputy parliamentary leader in the Sindh Assembly Kanwar Naveed, Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghouri and Sindh’s Senior Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed.—APP