Head of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Altaf Hussain telephoned Chairman Steering Committee of Pakistan Muslim League (Like Minded Group) and former Foreign Minister Mian Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri from London to discuss with him various provisions of the Kerry-Lugar bill. Sources in the PML(Like Minded Group) told Business Recorder that both the leaders had exchanged views over the provisions of the Kerry Lugar bill.
Both the leaders agreed that MQM and PML would remain in touch with each other in future to exchange views on matters of national importance. When Altaf Hussain sought opinion of PML leader regarding various provisions of the bill, Khurshid Kasuri told Altaf that as Foreign Minister he had made concerted efforts to improve relations between Pakistan and United States as well as Pakistan and India.
He, however, felt that the bill had the potential to affect these relationships negatively. He said that some provisions of the bill being extremely intrusive in nature had the potential to negatively impact on Pak-US relations. The PML leader said that it was, therefore, not surprising that the Pakistani media and public opinion reacted in the manner that it did.
He said that Pakistan and India made progress through composite dialogues and back channel on Kashmir and other contentious issues bilaterally and there was no need for Kerry-Lugar bill to intrude in this manner. MQM leader Altaf Hussain told Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri that he had directed the Co-ordination Committee of MQM to consider the bill comprehensively and present its recommendations to party.