Amid the ongoing “political surprises”, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s coordination committee on Wednesday announced its decision to ratify the agreement between the party and the united opposition on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
MQM-P leader Nasreen Jalil confirmed the development while speaking to the media outside the party’s office in Karachi’s Bahadurabad.
“Details of the agreement will be revealed in a press conference at 4pm,” she said.
Earlier, Federal ministers Farogh Naseem and Aminul Haque submitted their resignations to Prime Minister Imran Khan, hours after the MQM-P meeting with the two delegations of opposition leaders on late Tuesday night, Aaj News reported while citing sources.
Sources said that Farogh, who is the law minister, and Haque, who is the IT minister, decided to step down after the party's meetings with the opposition leaders and submitted their resignations today (Wednesday). It is pertinent to mention that the MQM-P's Raabta Committee is scheduled to meet at 2pm today to finalise the agreement reached with the opposition.
They added that the MQM-P would get administrative posts in metropolitan and other cities of Sindh in the local government under the agreement.
The MQM-P, which is now the only ruling party ally to make a decision in the no-confidence motion, on Tuesday night had meetings with the opposition and the government delegations. The MQM-P is scheduled to address a press conference with the united opposition leaders at 4pm today.
The PTI leadership, which was tasked to meet the coalition partners, on Tuesday held a detailed meeting with the MQM-P. Sindh Governor Imran Ismail had said that the team presented Prime Minister Imran Khan’s message to former minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and assured them of resolving their issues. “Hopefully, they will announce their decision next morning [Wednesday]. The MQM-P has supported us for more than three years and we expect the same for the future,” Ismail told reporters after the meeting.
In a tweet, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, who was part of the second opposition delegation, claimed that the united opposition and MQM “have reached an agreement. Rabta committee MQM[-P] & PPP CEC will ratify the said agreement. We will then share details with the media in a press conference tomorrow [Wednesday] IA. Congratulations Pakistan.”
But, the MQM-P did not explicitly state its position in the no-confidence vote. “The agreement between the united opposition and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan has been finalised. After the ratification of the proposed agreement by the PPP CEC, MQM-Pakistan Coordinating Committee, the details will be officially shared with the media tomorrow [Wednesday] at 4pm,” MQM-P leader Faisal Sabzwari said in a tweet.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Sabzwari said the party had constructive talks on resolving the issues with the opposition and the leaders would inform the Raabta Committee about the final decisions of the agreement at a meeting, which is scheduled to be held at 2pm on Wednesday.
“After this, we will address a joint press conference with opposition in Islamabad,” he said, adding that doors are still open for the government if wanted to have talks. Sabzwari was of the view that the country could not afford insurgency.
He also said that the party had moved from the “phase of reviewing” the situation and would give a final call.
Moreover, sources told Aaj News that PM Imran has claimed that the coalition partners would soon return to the government as the Balochistan Awami Party started contacting them. “The decision to award the Punjab chief minister seat to PML-Q was taken after thorough deliberation,” the premier said, “United we can fight the PML-N.”
