KARACHI, Jan 22: A deadlock still persists between Sindh chief minister Ali Mohammad Mahar and his coalition partners, the National Alliance, despite a meeting between the CM and the NA delegation on Thursday.

The ties between the coalition partners and the chief minister restrained as the CM, a PML (Q) nominee, issued a notification withdrawing the advisory position given to MPA Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh.

Sources said that the Mahar government might not sustain, and that “powerful” quarters should now come to the rescue of the Sindh government.

Insiders claimed that a candid meeting between the chief minister and the NA delegation, led by Dr Arbab Rahim and Murtaza Jatoi, terminated on an assurance by the chief minister that Imtiaz Shaikh would be informed of the background of denotifying his office within next 12 hours and if he did not get any call from the “powerful quarters”, on Thursday, he would again be nominated as an adviser.

However, members of the delegation expressed their reservations on the decisions made in the meeting and made it clear that the alliance was not aspiring for ministries, as in past they had enjoyed such portfolios.

They said at present it was a question of prestige. If the chief minister failed to renotify Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh as his advisor, and if interference from some federal ministers was not stopped in the affairs of Sindh and if all accords between NA and PML(Q) were not implemented in letter and in spirit, their group would part ways with the government.

They further said that earlier Irfan Marwat was given to understand that his port folio was being changed without giving any reason and recalled that they were not being allowed to function independently and even had been denied their share in power as per an agreement signed at the formation of the Sindh government.

The chief minister, according to insiders, recalled that he had a very good working relationship with his all colleagues, as such they should not have any complaint. However, as far as the notification on Imtiaz Sheikh was concerned, he came to know only after the issuance of the notification.

Mr Mahar reportedly said that he would see to it that next time their should be no misunderstandings.