World | Pakistan
Security removed at political party headquarters after talks collapse
The Sindh police removed the security cover from the headquarters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) yesterday after talks collapsed between the party and the ruling Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) for the formation of a coalition government.
- By Mujahid Ali, Correspondent
- Published: 23:58 April 14, 2008
Karachi: The Sindh police removed the security cover from the headquarters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) yesterday after talks collapsed between the party and the ruling Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) for the formation of a coalition government.
"The security cover has been removed not just from MQM headquarters but from eight other sensitive places in its vicinity," Shoaib Bukhari, a senior MQM leader, told reporters. These places include a Shiite Muslim mosque, he said.
"All this has happened because of our press conference [on Sunday] in which we announced that our party will sit in the opposition benches both at the centre and [at] the Sindh provincial level," he said.
Surprise move
On Sunday, the MQM, in a surprise move, announced that its talks with PPP for the formation of a coalition government had been deadlocked because of what it called the "non-serious" attitude of the ruling party.
Farooq Sattar, an MQM member of National Assembly and Deputy Convener of the party, said that the MQM gave unconditional support to the PPP and even withdrew its candidates both for the post of prime minister and other key slots in the National and Sindh provincial assemblies.
"But the PPP does not seem serious about the talks. In the last meeting the Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah left within minutes, leaving his two associates to carry on [with the] talks," Sattar said.
"Therefore, our coordination committee has decided to sit in the opposition ..."
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