'Positive headway' made in talks with PTI: Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.

KARACHI -- Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Dr Kahlid Maqbool Siddiqui said Saturday that "visible progress" was expected to take place in the next few days, as a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) delegation held talks to appease its disgruntled ally.

Speaking to media after the meeting between the PTI-MQM-P delegations concluded, Siddiqui said his party had highlighted the problems facing Sindh's urban areas and Karachi.

"The PTI knew about these problems before we joined hands to form the federal government," he said, saying that the MQM-P had given the ruling party "unconditional support" during the its time of need.

The MQM-P convener said talks held with the PTI delegation were "encouraging" and the demands put forward by his party were for the welfare of the people of Karachi and Sindh. He said these demands were not meant to benefit any individual or political party but the people in general.

"The PTI is a witness to the demands we put forward before them and even you [reporters] may have the main points [of the demands] in your hands," he said.

Siddiqui said that the 18th Amendment had been misused in the past and that power had yet to be devolved to the lower level. He said Sindh's urban areas "are in the Intensive Care Unit" and those areas of the country should be taken care of by the government whose shopkeepers, traders and industrialists were "fulfilling their responsibilities" and generating revenue.

"Sindh's urban areas need immediate relief," he said.

Defence Minister Pervez Khattak said the PTI "did not have a magic wand" at its disposal and that some demands put forward by the MQM-P will take time to be implemented.

"We have invited them [MQM-P] to return to the federal cabinet. They are with us but MQM-P has to decide for themselves," he said. Khattak said talks with the MQM-P had been held in a cordial atmosphere. He said "whatever is lacking will be compensated later", referring to the demands of the party.

The PTI leader said there was talk of the MQM-P withdrawing support for the government when that was not the case. He said that the party had left the federal cabinet but was still supporting the PTI government.

"The MQM-P was with the...

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