The meeting of the PPP-MQM core committee was held in the Chief Minister’s House to fine-tune the draft of Sindh local government system on Friday. – Photo by PPI

According to sources in the Sindh government, a notification in this regard was being issued separately.

There was confusion till late night with some TV channels reporting that the Chief Secretary of Sindh had signed a notification soon after the expiry of the ordinance.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan People’s Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement failed to hammer out an agreed framework for the local government system in Sindh because the PPP scuttled the issue on the plea that it needed time to consult other allies on the draft of a proposed legislation.

The meeting of the PPP-MQM core committee was held in the Chief Minister’s House to fine-tune the draft.

The meeting was attended, among others, by PPP ministers Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, Agha Siraj Durrani, Muhammad Ayaz Soomro and Rafique Engineer.

The MQM side was represented by ministers Syed Sardar Ahmed and Dr Sagheer Ahmed, Rabita Committee member Wasay Jaleel and Member of the National Assembly Wasim Akhtar.

Although sources said the two sides exchanged the draft proposals it was not known whether a new ordinance would be promulgated or a session of the provincial assembly would be summoned.

According to the sources the MQM was not prepared to give major concessions.

As the two sides remained bogged down on unspecified points, a press release issued by the CM House said the PPP was bound to consult other allied parties on the new legislation.

The ANP has already supported Commissioner System while PML-F also has its own point of view. The delay in agreeing to the new draft also indicated a division within the PPP on the issue.

Neither side said when they would meet again. Speculations were rife that President Asif Zardari will intervene in the matter in view of his recent conversation with MQM chief Altaf Hussain.