KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement's parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Dr Farooq Sattar and MQM leader Babar Ghauri on Wednesday said that President Asif Ali Zardari, who is also co-chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), had assured them that the MQM's reservations would be addressed within a week's time, DawnNews reported.

On Tuesday, President Zardari had assured the MQM that all its grievances about the situation in Sindh will be removed and that the ruling party will not support ‘criminal elements’.

The president had held out the assurance to a four-member MQM delegation, headed by Sattar, after discussing for almost three hours the situation in Karachi, with particular reference to a recent statement of Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza about a controversial peace committee that had created tension between the coalition partners.

Moreover, on Wednesday, Interior Minister Rehman Malik had departed for London to meet with MQM chief Altaf Hussain.

Speaking to media representatives, Sattar said President Zardari was likely to convene a meeting of PPP leaders within a week's time where he was likely to decide on how to resolve the tensions between the MQM and the PPP.

Furthermore, Ghauri said Rehman Malik would be delivering a special message from President Zardari to the MQM chief.

The MQM leaders said they were hopeful that the assurances given by President Zardari would be implemented.

They said the party would continue to boycott the Sindh Assembly until their reservations are properly addressed.