KARACHI, Oct 19: The scene of activities concerning the formation of government in Sindh has now shifted from Karachi to Dubai and Islamabad, where leaders of various parties are to decide their future course of action in the light of the discussions held in the past two days between their representatives and leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

The MQM is not only the second largest single party, after the PPP, in the Sindh Assembly, but also has 13 seats in the National Assembly.

The parties vying for the top slot in Sindh are the People’s Party Parliamentarians and the Pakistan Muslim League (F). The MQM, however, is crucial to the stability of a future government in the province, considering the party position in the Sindh Assembly.

According to unofficial results of the general elections, of the 130 general seats in the Sindh Assembly, the PPP has 51 seats and the MQM 32. The position of other major groups/parties in the house are the National Alliance (NA): 12, PML (Q) 11, PML (F) 10, and MMA eight seats. There are five independents. The Mohajir Qaumi Movement has one seat.

The MQM, which has some reservations due to its past experience of working in a coalition with the PPP, however, is keeping all of its options open while holding talks with leaders of the NA and the PPP. They will have another meeting, scheduled within the next 48 hours, with Chaudhry Shujaat Husain, the parliamentary party leader of the PML(Q), the largest single party in the National Assembly with 77 seats. In the Sindh Assembly it occupies the fourth position with 11 seats.

The secretary-general of the PML (Q), Capt Haleem Siddiqui (retd), with a brief from the party on the situation, has been staying in Islamabad.

The PPP leadership, after their meetings with power brokers in Islamabad, and after talks with the MQM on formation of a coalition government in Sindh, left for Dubai on Friday for consultation with party chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

When Aftab Shaikh, deputy convener of the coordination committee of the MQM, was asked about the outcome of the talks with leaders of the PPP, led by Nisar Khuhro and Nawab Yusuf Talpur, on Thursday, and the next day with leaders of the NA, led by Farooq Leghari and Ajmal Khattak, he said: “We had discussions with PPP leaders at Nine-Zero on the possibility of formation of a coalition government in Sindh. Also, we are closely watching the manoeuvrings in Islamabad from where reports have emanated about the possibility of a coalition government of the PPP and the PML (Q) at the centre. Since there are reports that there are elements who are averse to a coalition government of the PPP and the MQM, we are keeping our cards close to the chest.”

However, during our talks with Mr Khuhro we told him in plain words that he was not the only contender for the top slot.

He referred to the statement of the chief of the NA, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, in which he had said, “It is not necessary that the chief minister should always be an old resident. Representatives of those who have made Sindh their permanent home could also be the chief minister of the province. All should accept this decision with grace.”

One of the party’s options, Mr Shaikh said, would be to extend support to the government, whether led by the PPP or the PML (Q), without joining the government.

Answering a question, he said the PML(F), which had 10 members in the house, had, reportedly, asked for 10-11 departments/ministries to enter into a coalition.

When Syed Muzaffar Husain Shah, whose name has been proposed for the top slot by PML (F) chief Pir Pagara, was contacted, he said now his party was watching the situation at the centre.

He said a PPP delegation, led by Nisar Khuhro, had called on Pir Sahib who told him that now their attention was fixed on Islamabad to see how things shaped up at the national level. So now we had adopted a wait-and-see approach on government formation in Sindh.

Rashid Naseem, the secretary of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Sindh, told Dawn that a meeting of the MMA was scheduled on Sunday in Karachi where a policy decision would be taken in the light of the discussions held with leaders of the PPP and the PML (Q) on formation of coalition government in the province.

He said PPP leaders Nisar Khuhro, Taj Haider and Muzaffar Ali Shujra had contacted MMA leaders, including Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, to seek cooperation.

“We have put up our point of view before them and they presented theirs.”

PML (Q) leaders, including Haleem Siddiqui, had met Dr Mairajul Huda and Asadullah Bhutto and they exchanged views on government formation at the centre and in the province.

The situation would be clear within the next 72 hours when the PPP delegation returns from Dubai after consultation with their chairperson, and PML (Q) leaders decide on their coalition partner/partners at the centre and in the province.