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KARACHI, Oct 29: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal is striving for an early transfer of power from the military regime to a civilian government and for this purpose it is in contact with the leaders of all other parties.
This was stated by MMA Sindh President Maulana Asadullah Bhutto after holding talks with a delegation of Alliance for Restoration of Democracy Sindh led by Zain Ansari on Tuesday at the MMA office. Others who participated in the talks included Shaukat Sehto of the ARD and Mufti Daimuddin and Mumtaz Hussain Sehto from the MMA.
The ARD delegation suggested that political parties should stick to the demand of restoration of the Constitution and announcement of election schedule for the office of the president.
Mr Bhutto said the MMA did not consider it necessary that same party should form governments in the centre and the province.
“We also consider that restoration of the 1973 Constitution is necessary for the solidarity of the country and this is why we have kept open all options for the return of democracy. We also demand that the Sindh Assembly session should be convened at the earliest to transfer power to the chief minister of the province.”
In reply to a question, Mr Bhutto said that the purpose of the meeting between Amin Fahim and Gen Pervez Musharraf was to ensure a tripartite contest between MMA, PML-Q and PPP for the office of the prime minister.
Regarding PPP leaders meeting with MMA on Monday, he said: “We suggested them to adopt a flexible attitude towards the PML-Q.”
He said their reaction to this suggestion was positive and hoped that the meeting would lead to a breakthrough.
PPP-MQM MEETING: No follow-up meetings could take place on Tuesday between the representatives of Muttahida Qaumi Movement and People’s Party Parliamentarians to remove impediments in the formation of a coalition government.
The events in Islamabad and the MQM’s own priorities deferred the meeting for a day.
Following Makhdoom Amin Fahim’s visit to Nine-Zero on Monday, representatives of the committees, who have been assigned the task to come up with a mutually-agreed framework of cooperative relations, are now likely to meet on Wednesday, sources in the MQM and the PPP said.
Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who is a member of the PPP committee said his party was doing its best to establish a lasting relationship with the MQM on the basis of mutual respect by burying the hatchet.
He said there was a realisation that an understanding between the two parties could provide stability to the province of Sindh but for that appreciation of each other’s position was very important.
On the other hand, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement has also made a well thought-out effort to bridge the gap. But understandably, they are hesitant to take a leap to cross the bridge. Same is true of the PPP.
Analysts said the visit of Makhdoom Amin Fahim to Nine-Zero did constitute a breakthrough as it provided an opportunity to both sides to register their grievance in a frank manner.
The indecision of both sides could also be owing to compulsions of watching the outcome of power politics at the centre.
