KARACHI - As President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani are in constant contact with Altaf Hussain to smooth over relations between the Pakistan Peoples Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), hawkish elements within the ranks of the ruling partys Sindh chapter have been opposed to the Karachi-based political groups rejoining the governments in the province and Centre. Informed sources in the PPP, whom TheNation talked to, said that certain elements in the PPP Sindh, particularly those close to former Sindh home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, were opposed to the MQMs return to treasury benches in the Sindh and national assemblies. In a bid to head off the Altaf Hussain-led MQMs return to the governments folds, they have communicated their reservations to the party (over this move), added the sources. They and the civil leadership are poles apart over this matter, as the latter is, while perusing its reconciliatory policy, holding talks with the MQM chief for strengthening the democratic process. They contend that the MQM is an unreliable ally and that it has left the PPP alone on several critical occasions, said the sources, adding that they have asked the MQM for assurance that targeted killing would never happen again in Karachi. PPP Co-Chairman and President Zardari clearly informed partys Sindh office-bearers that he would not tolerate any person who created hurdles in the reconciliatory process. Despite the opposition of the hawkish elements, asserted the sources, Zardaris close aides Rehman Malik and Babar Awan were striving to take the MQM on board and reach an understanding with it for its rejoining. From MQMs side, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad has been engaged to settle the issues with the PPP. He has met President Zardari and other PPP office-bearers to finalise the pending matters. The sources further said the MQM was interested in some new portfolios, including the Local Government Ministry in Sindh, but the PPP leadership asked it to keep only those portfolios it held previously. When contacted, MQMs Deputy Parliamentary leader in National Assembly Haider Abbas Rizvi told TheNation that Altaf Hussain had announced his partys complete support to President Zardari to strengthen the democratic process in the country. He maintained that his party supported the reconciliatory policy and wanted continuation of the democratic process to pull the country out of the present crises, saying the MQM would extend all-out support to the government in the larger interest of the nation. According to the sources, the PPP Sindh government would face difficulties in adjusting portfolios in case the MQM decides rejoining the government, as the portfolios held by the MQM previously had already been allotted to MPAs of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional.