ISLAMABAD/LAHORE, March 23: A Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) team met PPP’s candidate for the post of prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani at the Parliament House on Sunday to assure him of MQM’s support.

The team comprised Senators Babar Ghauri and Abbas Komaili and MNA Haider Abbas Rizvi and Mr Gilani was accompanied by Asfandyar Wali Khan of the ANP, Sherry Rahman and Khurshid Shah of the PPP.

Later, Mr Ghauri told reporters that Mr Gilani had assured the MQM that it would be taken into confidence on all national issues and the new government would address problems of the party’s legislators.

Mr Ghauri said any decision to cooperate with the new coalition on issues like amending the Constitution to repeal Article 58(2)b and the president’s impeachment would be made by the party’s coordination committee.

About the possibility of MQM joining the new coalition, Mr Ghauri said that his party had neither set any pre-condition for its support nor had the PPP made any offer.

He claimed that the PPP had sought MQM’s support in the Senate and said that a decision would only be taken after a meeting with Mian Raza Rabbani, likely to be the new leader of the house.

Although PPP’s leader Izhar Amrohi did not rule out the possibility of power-sharing with the MQM, he said that at present no such proposal was under discussion because of the PML-N’s reservations.

Meanwhile, the MQM has made it clear that despite its willingness to support the four-party coalition at the centre its stand on reinstatement of deposed judges remains unchanged.

“We have quite a different point of view”, said MQM’s deputy parliamentary party leader Haider Abbas Rizvi when he was asked if his party subscribed to the PPP-PML-N plan to reinstate the deposed judges.

He said the Murree Declaration was an agreement between the PPP and the PML-N and the MQM would not make any comment on it.

He said the MQM had a “clear and consistent” point of view on the issue of judges. “All those judges who had taken oath under the Provisional Constitution Order deserve no respect. They should not be judges at all.”

The MQM leader said it was regrettable that some of the judges, whose reinstatement was being sought, had twice taken oath under the PCO.

When his attention was drawn to the reservations expressed by PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif about the MQM’s participation in the new set-up, Mr Rizvi said: “If the PML-N’s reconciliation could extend to the PPP, we should not be treated like untouchables.”

He said the MQM had not closed its doors on any party, and if they (the PML-N) wanted, talks could be held with them.

He said that PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari had not discussed the issue of power sharing with the MQM.

When it was pointed out that Mr Zardari had said in an interview that he wanted to give the MQM representation in the cabinet, Mr Rizvi said: “They have not said any such thing in talks with us.”

He said the MQM would unconditionally support all “positive plans” of the new government.