PM Imran's efforts to woo MQM-P will prove fruitless, says PML-N

FAISALABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan's mission to woo the Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) will prove fruitless, said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart Rana Sanaullah on Sunday. 

The former Punjab law minister was addressing a rally when he made the statement. He cautioned the MQM-P from reverting to the coalition government, saying that if it does, the party "will go back" on its stance. 

He said the government did not have any policy hence it was not possible for them to mend fences with any party.

Sanaullah's comments came a few hours after the MQM-P's Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, resigned. Siddiqui cited the government's inability to fulfill promises made to the MQM-P as the reason for parting ways with the federal cabinet.

 Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui resigns from federal ministry 

"We had promised the government to help with the formation of the government and we held our end of the deal. However, none of the promises made to us have seen any progress,” Siddiqui said while addressing a press conference in Karachi along with senior Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders in Karachi.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult for me to remain a part of the federal cabinet as questions are being raised upon my presence in the cabinet,” he explained.

Speaking about the agreement with the government, the MQM-P convener told the media that two agreements were made with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), one in Bani Gala, the other in the Bahadurabad, in the presence of Jahangir Tareen.

Siddiqui said that they [MQM-P] had supported the federal government in every difficult phase but "injustice was still being done with Sindh".

In response to a question regarding the ending of its alliance with the government, Siddiqui said, “We did not ask for the law ministry neither did we propose Farogh Naseem’s name. The two names that we had proposed for the ministry did not include [Farogh] Naseem’s name. The government had selected his [Farogh Naseem] name on its own.”

Siddiqui denied that his decision had anything to do with the recent proposal of provincial ministries by Pakistan Peoples Party Chairperson (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Siddiqui in exchange for MQM-P's help in toppling the government.

“This has nothing to do with PPP’s offer,” Siddiqui said.