The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) announced on Sunday going back to the cabinet.

After a meeting with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail at the MQM-P’s headquarters in Karachi, party’s convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said his party now feels it’s right time to return to the cabinet. He said the government has made a satisfactory progress on all demands of the MQM; therefore, the party has decided to return to the cabinet.

Speaking on the occasion, Ismail said a city mayor could not work until and unless he has sufficient powers. He said that mayors across Pakistan should have the required powers to deliver in an effective way. He said that a Rs7 billion budget has been reserved for Karachi and Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar would be given Rs1 billion.

On January 12, Siddiqui announced he was resigning as federal minister for information technology and telecom because the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) did not fulfil its promises. He however said his party would continue to support the Imran Khan-led government. He also made it clear that his party had no plan to ask its lawmaker Farogh Nasim to quit the federal cabinet though the PTI had given him law minister’s portfolio without consulting the MQM-P. He said his party was promised one more ministry, but the PTI did not fulfil its promise despite repeated assurances.

The ruling PTI had given two ministries to MQM lawmakers after the two coalition partners signed a nine-point memorandum of understanding in August 2018.