Minister denies rift between PPP, MQM

Islamabad: Denying media reports that Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were drifting apart, Interior Minister Rahman Malek asserted on Saturday the PPP-MQM partnership was intact and under no threat.

On return from talks with senior MQM leaders in Abu Dhabi, he said there was no deadlock between the two parties and they had decided to form a joint legal team and a think-tank group to discuss issues.

Malek said MQM leader Altaf Hussain had never advised President Asif Ali Zardari to resign.

He said the MQM had only opposed any move to convert into an act of parliament controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) and the government had already withdrawn a parliamentary bill meant to endorse the decree.

The ordinance was promulgated by military ruler Pervez Musharraf in October 2007 to pave the way for withdrawal of pending corruption cases against public office holders.

Late former premier and PPP leader Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Ali Zardari were among a large number of people who benefited from the ordinance.