QUETTA, Sept 24: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has turned down the request of Chief Minister Jam Yousuf for surrendering some ministerial portfolios for other coalition partners in the provincial government.

Talking to reporters at his office the parliamentary leader and senior minister, Maulana Abdul Wasay, said that he had informed the chief minister that his party would not surrender the portfolios allotted to its members for other coalition partners. Instead they would prefer to part government, he added.

He claimed that the MMA and other ruling allies had reached an agreement with the PML-Q at the time of formation of government after which they were allotted the portfolios.

The senior minister said that demanding the MMA to surrender some portfolios in the name of making a balance would mean violation of the agreement. They should not have signed the accord at the time of forming the coalition government if they think the cabinet was not balanced, he added.