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Coalition Partner Rejoins Pakistani Government

   VOA News 07 January 2011
   In  this photo released by the Press Information Department, Pakistani
   Prime  Minister  Yousuf  Raza  Gilani,  right,  heads  a  meeting with
   Parliamentary leaders in Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011.

Photo: AP

   In  this photo released by the Press Information Department, Pakistani
   Prime  Minister  Yousuf  Raza  Gilani,  right,  heads  a  meeting with
   parliamentary leaders in Islamabad, Jan. 6, 2011.

   A  coalition partner that left Pakistan's government earlier this week
   has rejoined the ruling coalition. Â
   The  MQM  Party,  the  second largest in the government, announced its
   decision Friday, one day after the government reversed a plan to raise
   fuel  prices.   The  MQM  had  cited the price hike as one of the key
   reasons for leaving the government.
   Senior  MQM  member  Raza  Haroon  told  a  news conference with Prime
   Minister  Yousuf  Raza  Gilani  that  his  party  was returning to the
   government "in the larger interest of the country and democracy."
   The  government  raised  fuel  prices  by  as  much as nine percent on
   January 1. Days later, the MQM joined the opposition in protest.
   The  move  turned Mr. Gilani's government into a minority coalition in
   parliament,   raising   fears   that  the  government  might  collapse
   especially  at  a  time  Pakistan suffers from a crumbling economy and
   crippling  terrorist attacks. Critics also have accused the government
   of failing to reduce corruption.
   Pakistan is next scheduled to hold national elections in 2013 and most
   political  groups  have  said  they are not in favor of having earlier
   elections.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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