KARACHI, July 27: Muttahida Qaumi Movement ministers on Thursday decided to pull out of the government in the centre and in Sindh, after a three and half-year stint, due to alleged obstructions created in the functioning of their ministers and lack of cooperation from the bureaucracy.

This was announced by Dr Imran Farooq, convenor of the MQM coordination committee, in a telephonic press conference from London. He said decisions were taken at the top-level without the knowledge of the ministers concerned.

He said that in view of the decision three federal ministers, Shamim Siddiqui, Babar Ghori, Syed Safwanullah, and Minister of State Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain have tendered resignations. In Sindh Syed Sardar Ahmad, Shoaib Bokhari, Adil Siddiqui, Rauf Siddiqui, Shabbir Ahmad Qaimkhani, Qamar Mansoor and advisers M. A. Jaleel, Waseem Akhtar and Noman Sehgal have submitted their resignations.

Dr Farooq, however, made it clear that Governor Ishratul Ibad Khan would continue in the office while the party’s legislators would continue to sit on the treasury benches both in the National and Sindh assemblies.

He said that MQM believed in welfare of the people and was not interested in remaining clinched to power. Its resignations were different from those submitted by ARD legislators. He claimed that ARD resignations were part of the power game and not for the welfare of the people.

The MQM would continue to support President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s policies and would not become part of any anti-government campaign, Dr Farooq said, adding that the decision was taken unanimously and after discussion. He, however, maintained that if at any stage the government made a fresh offer and accepted its demands, it might reconsider the decision.

The MQM took the decision after repeatedly expressing its discontent over its working relationship with Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim.

Earlier in the day, it had announced that it had collected resignations from its federal and provincial ministers, senators, advisers and special assistants, which would be submitted to the authorities if the party’s coordination committee decided to call it a day.

“We have accepted the resignations of all our senators, ministers, advisers and special assistants. The decision was taken in a meeting of the coordination committee held on Wednesday night. We will be meeting again to decide the fate of these resignations,” he said.

The MQM convenor, however, made it clear that the party’s members in the national and provincial (Sindh) assemblies had not submitted their resignations, so far. He said the MPAs and MNAs would continue to sit on treasury benches till a final decision was taken.

Dr Farooq said the latest decision by the Sindh chief minister to ban all unions in the education department was also taken without consulting MQM. He said the party was against the ban, which would hurt its voters, the most.

He said the MQM had voiced similar discontentment in a meeting held in Islamabad two months ago. He said they were assured that all their grievances would be taken care of, but the situation was the same to the day.

He said that the core committee, which was formed a couple of months ago, had done nothing to stabilise the division of power between the coalition partners. President Musharraf had not yet met the party’s chief, Altaf Hussain, he added.

Meanwhile, an MQM member said that the President’s House had contacted the party’s head office in London. He said that power brokers had asked the party leadership to remain calm and assured them of immediate redress of their complaints.

A similar crisis had surfaced a couple of months ago when the party had sent similar warnings to the power corridors in Islamabad but withdrew it after the President’s House assured Mr Altaf Hussain that things would be duly taken care of.

Replying to a question, Dr Farooq said the decision has not been taken after President Musharraf gave a statement in favour of the Sindh chief minister nor it has any connection with the resignations of ARD assembly members.

He said if the coordination committee felt necessary then it would also accept the resignation of the Sindh governor. However, at present he ruled out of any such possibility.