KARACHI, March 23: Sindh chief minister designate Syed Qaim Ali Shah gave indications that talks with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement were continuing, but steered clear of giving any timeframe or the details of the allocation of ministries in the soon to be formed provincial government.

He was speaking to reporters after presiding over a Pakistan Day programme held here at a hotel on Sunday.

Speculation started to increase after the MQM withdraw its candidate – MNA Dr Farooq Sattar – on Saturday as the joint opposition’s contender for prime minister’s post and instead stated that the party’s members in the National Assembly would vote for the Pakistan People’s Party’s candidate.

Considering this gesture in the centre, observers are keenly waiting to see if the PPP, which has a majority in the Sindh Assembly, will reciprocate in the province as the MQM has the second largest number of seats in the house.

“It will move forward. When, I don’t know. It depends on the party leadership,” Qaim Ali Shah said when asked about the progress of power-sharing talks with the MQM and if the party would get any positions in the Sindh cabinet.

When asked if the governor would continue to be from the MQM, Mr Shah said that it was not yet decided.

The PPP’s Sindh Executive Committee has also backed its co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s contacts with the MQM, adds APP. The committee met on Sunday with Qaim Ali Shah in the chair.

About the likely size of the new cabinet, Mr Shah observed that inductions into the cabinet would be merit-based and not based on likes and dislikes, adding that the cabinet members would be given a probationary period of three months to prove they could live up to the job.

Earlier, in his speech as the chief guest, Qaim Ali Shah reflected on the problems that prevented democracy from taking root in the nation over the past 60 years and said that the first step towards providing basic human rights to the people was establishing proper democracy, through which the people would rule.