File photo courtesy PID
The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) is set to lead a delegation of the ruling coalition to Karachi today (Monday) in a bid to resolve concerns raised by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on the decision to conduct local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad under existing delimitation.
The MQM-P, which has been championing recent efforts to unite the various factions of the party under one umbrella, last week threatened to quit the federal government if “fresh delimitation” of constituencies in Karachi and Hyderabad were not conducted prior to Jan. 15, when the long-delayed elections are set to take place.
Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the party’s Rabita Committee, MQM-P chief Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said it had been decided to adopt a strict stance over the delimitation issue and the “non-serious” attitude showed by the Sindh government led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He said the party was considering various means to convey its concerns, including through protests and meetings with the federal government.
Urging Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to fulfill his promises to the MQM-P—the PMLN served as guarantor of an agreement between the MQM-P and PPP ahead of the vote of no-confidence that led to Imran Khan’s ouster as prime minister—Siddiqui warned that his party would have no choice but to protest if the situation were not addressed. “In agreement with the PPP, our key point was fair delimitation of constituencies for the local government polls,” he said, alleging that the existing delimitation pointed to pre-poll rigging.
Following that press conference, the prime minister discussed the situation with PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and urged him to address the MQM-P’s concerns over the implementation of their agreement. He also decided to send a delegation comprising various leaders of the ruling coalition, including federal ministers Ayaz Sadiq and Khawaja Saad Rafique, to Karachi to meet leaders of both the MQM-P and the PPP and “bridge the differences” between them.
The rift between the MQM-P and the federal government has emerged amidst efforts by Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori to unite all the party’s factions under one umbrella. In a statement, he said unity was necessary to address the grievances of the people of Karachi, adding that no political party can survive long if there are visible factions within it.
Stressing that he had urged the PPP to fulfil its agreement with the MQM-P, he said the latter party could decide on any number of options if the PPP reneged on its promises.