KARACHI: A coalition government was formed in Sindh on Tuesday when the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) with its two ministers and three advisers became part of the provincial cabinet.

Dr Sagheer Ahmed and Rauf Siddiqi took the oath to become ministers while Faisal Sabzwari, Adil Siddiqi and Abdul Haseeb were appointed advisers to the chief minister.

Sindh Governor Ishrtaul Ibad administered the oath to the new ministers at a ceremony held at the Governor House on Tuesday evening.

While speaking to the media after the oath-taking ceremony, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who along with other senior Pakistan Peoples Party leaders was present on the occasion, said: “We [PPP and MQM] are united again.

“It is a positive sign that the MQM has joined the Sindh government, as together the two parties can serve the province better. The move will strengthen democracy, strengthen the province and ultimately benefit the people of Sindh.”

Senator Rahman Malik, who has been in contact with the two sides during the past one year, while talking to reporters after the ceremony said: “It was the utmost desire of Mr Zardari that MQM joins the Sindh government. It’s a big day today that we’ve finally made it. The days ahead are going to benefit both parties and the people of Sindh.”

“The MQM has always maintained a working relationship with the PPP,” said senior MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar. “Even when we were in the opposition, we supported the government in every democratic move. So this partnership, I believe, will ultimately benefit democracy and the people of the province.”

While senior leaders from the two sides — PPP and MQM — at the oath-taking ceremony called it a move forward, none of them shared any thoughts on the need for the coalition that might be called convincing, considering their recent exchange of statements which reflected a wide gulf between the two parties.

Only last week the MQM legislators at the Sindh Assembly leapt to their feet, tore up the copies of the order of the day and shouted slogans when the then opposition party was not allowed to move an adjournment motion regarding the ‘extrajudicial killings of workers’.

The MQM later came up with a strong protest against the ‘PPP government attitude on its concerns’ and ‘consistent extrajudicial killings of workers’ amid the ongoing targeted operation. Nothing changed in this particular case during the past one week, as at least three more Muttahida workers including two listed as ‘missing’ by the party were found shot dead in the past seven days.

Even from the MQM side, there was no argument to justify its latest move.

However, senior analysts and political pundits believe that having a coalition government at this point may bring advantage of its own choice to each partner.

“It the PPP-MQM coalition] has nothing to do with politics associated with the number of seats,” said Wusatullah Khan, a senior broadcaster who is known for his political and critical columns. “I believe it mostly relates to ethnic composition as we all know well that ethnic scene here is altogether different compared to the other three provinces. So the PPP doesn’t need the MQM as far as the number game is concerned.”

He also shared his thoughts about the short-term benefit each party could avail itself of with the new partnership, as the MQM had been seeking some relief from the ongoing ‘targeted-operation’ in Karachi while the PPP would also be in a comfort zone with the strongest party in the opposition joining the treasury benches in the assembly.

“And ultimately it would also strengthen the province’s collection bargaining position while taking up matters with the centre,” said Mr Khan. “So how much public interest the new coalition would serve would come out shortly but a few things are obvious that it would devolve power and distribute authority to different people which is definitely a good sign.”