ISLAMABAD, Nov 3: Despite efforts at the highest level till the eleventh hour, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Pakistan People’s Party failed to reach an understanding on the distribution of portfolios, putting on hold the inclusion of the former in the cabinet.

Sources told Dawn on Monday that MQM chief Altaf Hussain and President Asif Ali Zardari were ‘directly’ involved in the matter, but their interaction could not yield results because of inflexibility on both sides.

The MQM wanted to have six ministries whereas the PPP offered it only two federal ministries and two ministers of state, the sources said.

The MQM had sought communications, housing and works and ports and shipping. The party held the three portfolios in the erstwhile government.

A PPP source said MQM had also sought the “coveted ministry” of petroleum and natural resources.

Sources in the two parties confirmed that PPP had accepted MQM’s demand for the ministry of petroleum and natural resources, but there was a deadlock over three other ministries.

“The government was offering us two ministries — health and petroleum — with state ministers whereas we want ministries in proportion to our strength in the National Assembly and Senate,” said an MQM leader.

A newly-inducted minister of state belonging to PPP told Dawn that the expansion was delayed because of MQM’s “inflexible attitude and demand for precious and important ministries”.

An MQM leader, Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi, said since his party had not received any invitation from the government to join the cabinet, the question of putting demands did not arise.

He, however, said MQM would continue to support the government’s “positive steps in the larger interest of the country and the nation”.