ISLAMABAD - The negotiation meeting between the government and Muttahida Qoumi Movement (MQM) on Wednesday (yesterday) could not be possible due to other pressing engagements of government’s negotiation team.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who is heading government’s negotiation team, confirmed that the meeting was postponed, quickly adding that in the last meeting both sides had agreed on host of issues including the main demand of forming a - Grievance Redressal Committee - comprising retired judges and bureaucrats.
Sources in the government confirmed to The Nation that in the previous sitting both sides discussed the modalities of the Grievance Redressal Committee to go through complaints of MQM regarding alleged mistreatment to their activists and leaders in the name of operation against criminals in Karachi.
Sources further said that the Finance Minister Ishaq Dar would be presenting a report on details of the negotiations to the Prime Minister today (Thursday) and hopefully would get a formal approval of all what was agreed upon in these meetings.
Sources further informed that even before the start of formal negotiations between the government and MQM, Premier Sharif in his meeting with MQM delegation assured them that their genuine concerns would be duly addressed including their demand of an oversight committee on Rangers’ operation in Karachi.
In their last sitting held on Tuesday afternoon, MQM team was led by Dr Farooq Sattar with Kanwar Naveed, Barrister Saif, Wasim Akhtar and a couple of others party leaders while Pervaiz Rashid, Aushtar Aousaf and Barrister Zafarullah represented the government. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had joined in later as the head of the negotiation team.
Sources aware of the deliberations of the meeting informed The Nation that it was agreed in the meeting that retired judges and bureaucrats having good reputation would be made the members of Grievance Redressal Committee while further talks would work on finalising its mandate and powers.
Sources in the government informed that legal brains of the ruling PML-N were also a part of the negotiation team so they would not be requiring legal wetting of the proposal to form the committee.
Another source informed that the monitoring committee to oversee the Rangers’ operation in Karachi was part of National Action Plan, so they would not be requiring any further constitutional cover for it and that both sides were discussing contours and mandate of the committee.
Sources aware developments in the second round of talks held at Punjab House, informed that the moment the Grievance Redressal Committee would be announced the MQM Rabita Committee would announce retraction of resignations of the MQM MPs.
Sources further informed that the final draft for the constitution of the committee would likely to be finalised in another couple of meetings of the negotiation teams and then would be presented for final approval to the Prime Minister.
Sources further said that before the formal approval to constitute the committee Prime Minister would likely take the reflection of other Parliamentary parties including Pakistan People’s Party on it.