Coalition partner in Pakistan quits govt

A major partner in Pakistan’s ruling coalition Tuesday quit the government and its ministers resigned from the federal cabinet, a minister said. The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) group withdrew all its ministers from the cabinet as they were dissatisfied with the government performance, federal minister Faisal Saleh Hayat said. He also quit the cabinet.  A total of 17 federal ministers and ministers of state presented their resignations to the PML-Q chief, Chaudhry Shujat Hussain.  The PML-Q, formed during the military rule of former President Pervez Musharraf in early 2000, has nearly 50 members in the National Assembly, Lower House of the parliament.  It is not clear if the PML-Q will sit the opposition benches or will continue support to the government.  The government may loose majority in the parliament if the PML-Q decided to join the opposition lawmakers in the parliament.  The resigned ministers said that the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party of President Asif Ali Zardari has not honoured promises with the PML-Q.  They said the government is also not paying attention to resolve the problem of power shortage in the country.  The resignations will be sent to Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, sources said.  Sources said that President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani have started efforts to contact the PML-Q leadership to convince them to withdraw ministers’ resignations.  The PMl-Q had joined the government in May this year after another coalition partner the Mutahida Qaumi Movement or MQM had quit the government over policy differences.  The MQM has not yet joined the government but is not opposing the government in the parliament.