ISLAMABAD, May 24: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim had a detailed meeting on Wednesday with the top brass of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League to seek support in his standoff with coalition partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

The chief minister briefed PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, secretary-general Mushahid Hussain Syed and other leaders on various aspects of the issue.

He also met National Security Council secretary-general Tariq Aziz to apprise him of the situation arising out of MQM’s boycott of the Sindh Assembly session.

In a brief chat with reporters after the meeting at the Punjab House, Chaudhry Shujaat declared: “He (Arbab) is our party’s chief minister and will remain chief minister and no one has the right to demand his replacement.”

Arbab Rahim said: “I have no differences with the coalition partner nor have I any list of their grievances against me.”

An MQM delegation comprising federal Ports and Shipping Minister Babar Ghouri, Adil Siddiqui and Kunwar Naveed Jamil is scheduled to meet Mr Aziz on Thursday.

Both the parties together or separately may also be summoned by President Pervez Musharraf to hammer out a patch-up, sources said.

About the party’s tussle with the MQM, Chaudhry Shujaat said “we respect our coalition partners and the matter which has surfaced now is a provincial subject which will hopefully be resolved amicably. We have full confidence in the Sindh chief minister’s way of governance and support him”.

The chief minister said he was not aware of any specific reservations of the MQM and expressed dismay over the way it had boycotted the assembly session.

About complaints of delay in summaries the MQM said its ministers had sent to the chief minister, Arbab Rahim said that as the chief executive of the province it was his prerogative to retain any file which he needed to go through in detail.