From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders Jahangir Tareen and Pervez Khattak will visit Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) headquarters in Karachi aimed at appeasing the key coalition partner of the federal government, media reported. According to sources, the government has intensified its efforts to end differences with the key coalition partner, that enjoys the support of seven National Assembly lawmakers and whose convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has resigned from the federal ministerial post on January 12. The two stalwarts of the PTI would visit the MQM-P headquarters and will try to convince Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to rejoin the federal cabinet. The sources quoting PTI leaders said all just demands of the MQM-P will be accepted during the meeting. Earlier on January 13, a delegation led by Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Reforms Asad Umar held a meeting with MQM-P leaders at the party’s temporary headquarters in Bahadurabad to assuage their reservations. Speaking at a post-meeting press conference, convener Siddiqui downplayed today’s talks saying it was a scheduled meeting. He reiterated his party would continue with its cooperation with the PTI government. Asad Umar said Khalid Maqbool didn’t retract his decision to quit the federal cabinet. He said they apprised the MQM-P leadership of progress on the ongoing federal governmentfunded schemes in Karachi. He acknowledged that there remain certain issues that warrant attention, adding the people of Karachi have been denied their due rights for decades. Asad Umar said the issues would be sorted out during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Karachi visit in the first week of next month. Meanwhile, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) Chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal has termed the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan threatening to the government to quit from the cabinet as drama adding that politics is being done taking name of Karachiites as Amir Khan has destroyed Muttahida Quami Movement- Pakistan (MQM-P).
