ISLAMABAD, June 30: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement applied on Thursday for allocation of their seats on opposition benches in the National Assembly and Senate.

The party has submitted a similar application to the speaker of the Sindh assembly.

The move indicates that unlike in the past this time the MQM has decided not to rejoin the PPP-led coalition government.

When its federal ministers resigned in January this year, the party didn't ask for separate seats in parliament.

Haider Abbas Rizvi and Tahir Mashhadi, MQM's deputy parliamentary leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate, submitted on Thursday applications to secretaries of the two houses of parliament asking them to declare their current seats as opposition benches.

The MQM has 25 MNAs and six senators.

Talking to reporters outside the parliament house, Mr Rizvi said there was absolutely no chance of his party's returning to the government. “Resignation of Governor Ishratul Ibad is very vital and people should understand the difference,” he said when asked if the MQM was really serious about quitting the government.

He said doubts about seriousness of MQM's decision to leave the coalition were uncalled for because last time the party had not applied for seats on opposition benches.

He said the decision had been taken after extensive deliberations and consultation with its leaders.

He ruled out any possibility of a meeting between President Asif Zardari and MQM chief Altaf Hussain in London.

Answering a question about the recent appointment of Abdul Ghafoor Haideri as the leader of opposition in the Senate, he said the MQM was in contact with the JUI-F and the PML-N.

When asked if Mr Ibad left for London immediately after submitting his resignation in order to avoid criminal cases registered against him before he had taken over as Sindh governor, Mr Rizvi said those cases were politically motivated.