MQM is a coalition partner, but only on paper, PPP not ready to share power: admits MQM lawmaker

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MQM lawmaker admits ties strained with PPP - thenews.com.pk​

Fasahat MohiuddinTuesday, July 22, 2014

Karachi
A lawmaker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Khwaja Izhar-ul-Hassan conceded that the relations between his party and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) were a bit strained.

He was talking to The News recently at an iftar-dinner hosted by Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani.

Answering a question, he admitted that the relations between both parties were a bit tensed. “We represent urban parts of the province and are its stakeholders but when the time comes to give us our share the MQM is ignored,” he said. “Despite being a coalition partner, the Muttahida is ‘powerless’. All vital decisions are made without us and meetings about law and order take place but our party is not invited.”

He said the MQM was a coalition partner, but perhaps only on paper. According to him, the party was not taken into confidence when taking any major political decisions and this was the reason for tensed relations with the PPP.

“For all practical purposes our party, which is the biggest stakeholder in Karachi and Hyderabad, is completely ignored. We are kept out of the loop when important issues such as acute water shortage, persistent power cuts and recruitment for government jobs are discussed,” he said.

Hassan also admitted that the provincial health minister — who belonged to the MQM — was not seeing eye to eye with the department secretary. According to him, the health secretary made appointments with doctors without seeking the minister’s permission. “The same treatment is being meted out to Muttahida by the PPP…”

“The PPP has been doing this for the past five years but the MQM has remained silent. The situation is the same today but now we are silent because our forces are busy fighting terrorists in North Waziristan.”