The Hindu : MQM to back Jamali Govt.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 04, 2002

International

International

MQM to back Jamali Govt.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD Dec. 3. The Pakistan Prime Minister, Mir Zafrullah Khan Jamali, has reason to smile once again as the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) today decided to return to the Treasury benches at the Centre. Last week, the party chose to withdraw support to the Jamali Government.

Following the withdrawal of MQM support, managers of the Jamali Government had been engaged in hectic parleys with the alliance of religious parties. They had even announced their inclination for a "deal" with the parties led by the former Prime Ministers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.

That the pro-Musharraf parties were not giving up their quest for new partners was evident from the statement of Mr. Jamali in Karachi today that he would like an "understanding" with the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), an alliance of six religious parties.

The MQM which has 17 members in the National Assembly had withdrawn support on the plea that the promises made by the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, for abolition of "no go areas" in Karachi had not been fulfilled. The so-called ``no go areas'' are under the occupation of the rival faction of the MQM known as the Mohajir Quami Movement (Haquiqi).

The MQM leader, Farooq Sattar, announced at a news conference in Karachi that his party had decided to renew support to the Jamali Government in view of the "improvement" in the situation in the last few days in the "no go areas".

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