The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) on Monday night decided to withdraw its ministers from the Pakistan People's Party-led coalition government at the federal level. While this placed Pakistan's national government under strain, the MQM's decision to continue supporting the ruling dispensation without participating in governance has left a window open for reconciliation between the two estranged allies.
The MQM's decision was taken on a day when the PPP leadership was preoccupied with the third death anniversary of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani was on a visit to Oman.
The MQM has been particularly upset with the PPP over the past fortnight for not reining in its Sindh Home Minister, Zulfiqar Mirza, who had recently lashed out at the party for its role in the frequent bloodletting in Pakistan's commercial capital, Karachi. However, the MQM has not pulled support for the Sindh Government where it is in coalition with the PPP.
With the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) recently stating that it would not be party to any move to topple the federal government, political analysts did not foresee an immediate danger to the ruling arrangement but the MQM decision has triggered yet another round of political maneuvering.
