The government negotiation team on Thursday held a meeting with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) in a bid to address the reservations of the coalition partner, as the committees tasked by Prime Minister Imran Khan sought to resume the dialogue process with all the estranged allies during the current week.

The meeting between government negotiating team and the MQM-P was preceded by the first formal session of the various committees constituted by Prime Minister Imran Khan for holding talks with the estranged coalition partners. After the meeting between the government and the MQM-P delegation, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui told media persons that the Thursday's session was not a formal session of dialogue.

"We had arrived just for a meeting and not for holding the dialogue", Siddiqui said, adding that they want an increase in budget for Karachi's uplift projects. Siddiqui has quit the federal cabinet in protest against PTI government's failure to honour the written agreement with the coalition partner.

Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak, who is heading the government committees for holding talks with the coalition partners, said that they finalized the procedure of the dialogue with the allied parties, adding that the talks will resume during the current week from the point left previously by the committees now dissolved.

"We are trying to resolve the issues within a week or 10 days", he said, adding that the talks will be held as per previously agreed mechanism." To a question whether Jahangir Tareen will be included in the committees, Khattak said that the new committees were constituted by the Prime Minister and he can make any decision. "Jahangir Tareen will also be holding a meeting with the Prime Minister...we will continue on the talks that I and Jahangir Tareen had previously hold with the coalition partners," he added.

Governor Sindh Imran Ismail, who is member of the government team to negotiate with the MQM-P, maintained that MQM-P's reservations have been addressed to a 'great extent'. "MQM-P will soon be rejoining the federal cabinet. On some matters, the talks are still underway with the MQM-P", he said, adding that they have a 'good' working relationship with the coalition partner and contacts are being made on daily basis.

He said that the Prime Minister has instructed the negotiation teams to expedite the negotiation process with the coalition partners. To a question about the appointment of new inspector general of police of Sindh province, the Governor said that the Prime Minister and the federal cabinet have sought consultations on the matter.

"If the Sindh government becomes part of the consultation, it would help in resolving the matter," he said, adding that in case the provincial government stays away from the consultation process, then the center has the option to appoint the IG for the province.

Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, member of the government team to negotiate with the MQM-P, said that MQM-P has not forwarded any demand for obtaining another ministry in the federal cabinet.

Responding to a question, he said that only one coalition partner - Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) - had demanded the revival of the previous committee and no other party in the ruling alliance has raised objection on the new formed committees.

Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar said that all the reservations of the coalition partners will be addressed, adding that all the allied parties standby the government and 'there is nothing to be worried about'. The meeting discussed the dialogue process with the coalition partners, besides the prevailing political situation of the country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020

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