ISLAMABAD, May 26: The Sindh coalition crisis remained unresolved as a three-member delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) failed to get an audience with President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Friday.

Instead, both Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and the MQM delegation held separate meetings with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and National Security Council’s secretary-general Tariq Aziz.

Sources said President Musharraf’s ‘prior engagements’ left him no time for a meeting with the MQM team comprising federal Ports and Shipping Minister Babar Ghauri, Sindh Industries Minister Adil Siddiqui and Hyderabad Nazim Kunwar Naveed Jamil. Apparently, they were informed in the afternoon that the president’s schedule would not allow him to spare time for the meeting. They are now expected to meet the president on Saturday.

The sources said the NSC secretary-general had submitted a report to the president containing an account of his meetings with the warring parties. He is believed to have arrived at the conclusion that the coalition tussle was no more than a clash of bruised egos.

Analysts attach importance to Arbab Rahim’s second meeting with Mr Aziz in three days. The chief minister is said to have presented President Musharraf’s trouble-shooter with a set of proposals to resolve the issue.

Accompanied by Pir Sadaruddin Shah, Nadir Leghari, Irfanullah Marwat, Ghaffar Qureshi, Ejaz Shah Sheerazi, Dr Hameeda Khoro, Sadaqat Jatoi and Nuzhat Pathan, Arbab Rahim also called on Prime Minister Aziz. He is said to have informed the prime minister that he took a dim view of the MQM ministers’ attitude.

The MQM team met Prime Minister Aziz and the NSC secretary-general at a dinner.