The announcement about MQM's decision was made by the Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan at a press briefing held at Governor's House here. He said the MQM had decided to rejoin the PPP-led coalition government in the "larger national interest". He said that MQM had left the matter of MQM share in Sindh and Federal governments to senior PPP leader Syed Khurshid Shah.
He said that although MQM quit the coalition in the past, it always supported the government and played its positive role. Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad said the country was facing numerous serious problems in the shape of a precarious law and order situation, external and internal threats, adding: "that's why MQM has decided to rejoin the government."
He said that Altaf Hussain had decided to rejoin the government on 19th August 2011 when President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani had telephoned him and requested him to return to the ruling coalition. He said that Altaf Hussain had conveyed his views to party's Co-ordination Committee (Rabita Committee) in this regard but an exchange of thoughts continued at the party level and "finally MQM has decided to rejoin the government".
Governor Sindh thanked President Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Khurshid Shah and others who were involved in parleys between the two parties. He also thanked Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Babar Aiwan. On the occasion, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that a breach of trust between the PPP and MQM had been plugged and now both the parties would serve the nation together and would also help each other in the next election.
To a question about allegations levelled by PPP's Dr Zulfiqar Mirza against MQM, he said Dr Mirza had made those remarks strictly in his personal capacity and that the party had already clarified its position in relation to that matter. Earlier, a meeting between the delegations of PPP and MQM was held at Governor's House.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Syed Khurshid Shah, Agha Siraj Durani and Manzoor Wasan from the PPP while Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan, Dr farooq Sattar, Babar Ghauri, Adil Siddiqui, Wasim Aftab, Raza Haroon and Dr Sagheer Ahmed from MQM attended the meeting.
The press briefing was held at 11:15 pm after a 45-minute meeting between the leaders of MQM and PPP. Soon after the press briefing, all the leaders resumed their talks. The meeting formed a few committees to sort out the pending issues, sources said.
Sources also disclosed that all MQM ministers in federal and Sindh would resume their offices within the next couple of days. Sources concluded that a committee had been formed to decide the fate of SLGO 2001. Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad telephoned Altaf Hussain and discussed with him all issues discussed at the meeting. He later spoke to President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani about MQM's decision to rejoin the government.