Updated at: 2014 PST, Sunday, January 02, 2011
 KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will sit on opposition benches, according to a decision taken by MQM’s Coordination Committee’s meeting held simultaneously in Karachi and London on Sunday and later ratified by the party chief Altaf Hussain.
The meeting of MQM’s Coordination Committee, taking serious exception, among other things, to the massive hike in prices of petroleum products by the government at the outset of new-year, finally decided to move from government to opposition benches.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani talking to media in Lahore said in reaction to the MQM’s decision that the government would continue to function no matter if any party decides to abandon the coalition. “The government will continue to function with or without the coalition partners,” he said.
Earlier, talking to Geo News, MQM leader Faisal Sabzwari regretted that despite repeated calls made by his party, the government failed to take any practical steps towards redressal of MQM’s grievances. “This forced Muttahida Qaumi Movement to take the extreme step of sitting on the opposition benches both in the National Assembly and the Senate,” he added.
Faisal Sabzwari said now MQM is weighing all the options including parting ways with government in Sindh government. He said MQM would oppose all the anti-people decisions of the government.
MQM had earlier had its two federal ministers – Dr. Farooq Sattar and Babar Ghauri – resign following its decision to abandon Federal Cabinet.
Reiterating MQM’s stance on imposition of taxes, he said the government should tax the income from agriculture and the landlords. “The government should tax landlords rather than the poor,” he said.
He said MQM has made the decision with an honest intent.
When asked whether the MQM’s meeting discussed no confidence motion against the Prime Minister, Faisal Sabzwari replied in negative.
Senior journalist and Geo News anchor Kamran Khan said after the latest move of MQM, the coalition government has now lost its majority in the assemblies.
He said two major parties have so far left the Pakistan People’s Party-led coalition government which makes it necessary for the Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to come forward and get a fresh vote of confidence. |
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