Qaim seeks coalition support on impeachment: Sindh Assembly session on August 12

Requesting support from coalition partners in Sindh, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that the Sindh Assembly would meet on August 12-13 to decide on the impeachment of President Pervez Musharraf under Article 47 of the Constitution.
Almost all the Sindh Cabinet members, excluding those from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) flanked Shah as well as his advisors and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leaders. Addressing a crowded press conference at Chief Minister House on Friday, Shah termed the measure as timely, democratic and constitutional, saying the move would not only strengthen democracy in the dictatorship-ridden country, but also make democracy sustainable.
He said that the unprecedented move would also bring talks of uncertainty about the present PPP-led government's survival to an end, besides helping the government solve the problems of the masses. "No one can dissolve this government easily, as this is a democratic government," Shah declared.
The CM also called upon his coalition partners in the Sindh government to join hands with the PPP-led pro-impeachment parties to materialise the move. "We expect and request our coalition partners in Sindh to join hands with us as everyone claims to strengthen democracy and wants to solve problems related to the provinces," he said.
Shah said PPP would respect the reservations of its coalition partners and take them into confidence on the issue to send a good message abroad about the country's unity in politics.
The chief minister said that the ruling coalition had asked the president to take a vote of confidence from his Electoral College, which includes the Senate, National Assembly and four provincial assemblies of the country, otherwise "we would play our democratic and constitutional role."
Had Musharraf taken a confidence-vote from the previous "King Party" (Pakistan Muslim League-Q) led assemblies, which had been declared by the slain party leader Benazir Bhutto as "rubber stamp" institutions, it would not have served democracy well, Shah said. "But the present assemblies are the true representative bodies of the masses," he added.
He said the people of Sindh would sound their opinion on the issue in the Sindh Assembly session to be held in the afternoon of the 12th and 13th of August, while a PPP parliamentary party meeting would be held on Saturday to raise the moraale of the central leadership. Shah said that the PPP had always been at the forefront in representing the people of Sindh on various issues, like National Finance Commission award and Sindh's share of water.
About MQM's stance on the issue, the chief minister said his government was in contact with the coalition partner and had taken it into confidence. About the absence of Makhdoom Jamil-uz-Zaman, son of senior PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Shah said the inter-provincial co-ordination minister was on a 15-day leave and supportive of the party's decision.