“The reasons which led us to leave ministries are still there,” the MQM’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Dr Farooq Sattar, told Dawn on Saturday. – File Photo by APP

ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement is not ready to join the federal cabinet without getting its conditions met in Sindh, according to sources in the party. The MQM, they said on Saturday, was anxiously waiting for a reshuffle in the provincial cabinet that had been discussed with the PPP leadership and settlement of issues relating to the local government and law and order.

The Pakistan People’s Party, the sources said, had told the MQM that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had delayed the planned expansion of his cabinet in the hope that its Sindh-based coalition partner would rejoin it.

The Muttahida quit the federal cabinet in December in protest against the government’s decision to increase prices of petroleum products.

The MQM has blamed the PPP for a lack of progress to resolve the row despite highest-level contacts. The PPP has accused the MQM of going to unreasonable lengths for political gains in Sindh.

“The reasons which led us to leave ministries are still there,” the MQM’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Dr Farooq Sattar, told Dawn.

He particularly referred to the law and order situation, complaining of “selective target killings” of MQM workers, and objected to what he called a mini-budget in the shape of recent presidential ordinances imposing new taxes.

“We have serious reservations over the law and order situation and an economic downslide in the country because of which we think we should not join the federal cabinet now,” he added.

But the president’s spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, said things were not so bad and that the PPP expected the MQM to rejoin the cabinet.

“There were misunderstandings between the PPP and the MQM in the past, but these were addressed by President Zardari and (MQM leader) Altaf Hussain. We hope that keeping in view the spirit of reconciliation and understanding they (MQM) will rejoin the federal cabinet,” Mr Babar told Dawn.

The MQM, which previously had only two portfolios, now has been offered three ministries — that of housing and works, petroleum and natural resources and ports and shipping. But it has not shown any desire to rejoin the federal cabinet and decided to wait for an appropriate time.

According to the sources, the MQM particularly eyes the key ministries of home and local bodies in Sindh. These portfolios are held by men closely associated with President Zardari.

A love-and-hate game between the two parties has been continuing since the formation the coalition government in 2008, with the MQM threatening several times to walk out of the coalition at the centre and in Sindh.

During meetings with MQM members in Islamabad and Karachi earlier this month, President Zardari had assured them that their grievances about the situation in Sindh would be addressed.

The meetings were held against the backdrop of a statement by Sindh Home Minister Zulfikar Mirza that the People’s Aman Committee — a body which the MQM has alleged was formed by members of two rival gangs of Karachi’s Lyari area — was a “sister organisation” of the PPP and that dubbing its members as criminals would tantamount to levelling the same allegation against him. It created fresh tensions between the two coalition partners.

The president had assured the MQM that criminal elements in Karachi would be dealt with an iron hand and every citizen would be provided security.

Later, Interior Minister Rehman Malik also hinted at banning the committee before the MQM ended a boycott of the national and Sindh assemblies. Mr Malik, who plays the role of a mediator whenever tensions arise between the two parties, made the announcement soon after his arrival from London where he had called on the MQM chief.

The MQM alleges that members of the People’s Aman Committee are involved in extortion, kidnapping for ransom and robberies in Karachi and says it believes the body is backed by Mr Mirza and some other PPP members. According to the MQM, the statement proves the home minister’s “open support” for what it called criminals and terrorists.