21 members of Sindh cabinet take oath

Karachi: A 21-member Sindh cabinet took oath yesterday as the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) geared up efforts to bring the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in the ruling coalition in an attempt to ensure peace and stability in this southern province.

The simple ceremony was held at Sindh Governor House in which 20 members belonging to the PPP and one member of Awami National Party (ANP) took oath of their office. ANP, which is a Pashtun nationalist group, for the first time has won two seats in Sindh and got a cabinet position.

There was only a token-representation of urban Sindh in the new cabinet which is being dominated by PPP representatives belonging to the rural areas. Analysts say that this leaves door open for the MQM which represents the Urban parts of Sindh.

Those members who took oath included Aga Siraj Durrani and Zulfikar Mirza - both close friends and associates of PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari. The others senior and prominent PPP members who took oath included - Murad Ali Shah, Sassi Paleejo, Shazia Marri, Pir Mazharul Haq, Nadir Magsi and Mukesih Kumar.

High-level contacts

Faisal Sabazwari, a senior MQM leader, told Gulf News that both PPP and MQM have established high-level contacts to normalise relations between the two parties.

Rahman Malik, the advisor to the federal government, has been in touch with MQM supreme leader Altaf Hussain on telephone for the last two days, he said. There also have been meetings between senior MQM and PPP leaders in Karachi, he added. "We have given PPP an unconditional support to promote the national reconciliation. We will work hard to achieve this goal."

The relations strained between the two sides following the manhandling of former chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim. The day-long violence on April 9 in which 12 people were killed fuelled speculations that the possible alliance between the two sides would never materialise.