LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQMP) have agreed to adopt a joint strategy for the forthcoming elections to bring people out of economic and political crises.
An MQM delegation reached the Central Secretariat of PMLN here on Tuesday and met former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. MQM Pakistan Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui led the delegation while Dr Farooq Sattar and Mustafa Kamal were also present. Former prime minister and PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the delegation. PMLN Chief Organizer Maryam Nawaz, Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Ayaz Sadiq, Parvez Rasheed, Rana Sanaullah and Maryam Aurangzeb also attended the meeting. The meeting lasted for more than an hour after which a joint statement was issued, which stated that both the parties agreed to adopt a joint strategy to bring the people of Pakistan out of current problems and put Pakistan back on the path to development.
The two parties decided to set up a six-member committee to prepare a comprehensive charter to address the problems of Sindh, especially its urban areas. The committee will present final proposals for collaboration between the two parties within 10 days.
Later, a joint press conference of PMLN and MQMP leaders took place in Model Town. Speaking with media, Bashir Memon said the PMLN leadership was trusted as Nawaz Sharif had developed the country from Lowari Tunnel to Green Line in Karachi. The country has to develop, the chain that was broken in 2017 will be reconnected and the growth rate should be 6.8 plus. Like-minded parties will unite with the MQMP and move forward for the development of Sindh.
Mustafa Kamal said: “We should not have any doubt that Pakistan is not well at the moment. Every day, we hear new bad news.” He said the big question was how to get the country out of recent domestic problems. It is only possible through a strong leadership. Nawaz Sharif is a senior politician of the region and has experience of being in and out of the government. Difficult decisions are needed this time. The electoral unity will not be based on who has what ministry. The problems are so severe that if a plan of action is not decided to get rid of problems, it will be the last turn for everyone. He said the Karachi city has a 40-year mandate, it gave 40% revenue, if there was a solution to problems, it would only be through sharing. “Nawaz Sharif has listened to our reservations and in response, he talked about the country,” he said, adding that the MQM delegation had come with full mandate.
Khawaja Saad Rafique said the MQM delegation came to Lahore on the invitation of Nawaz Sharif. “The senior leadership of both the parties was present in the meeting and we needed wider cooperation to solve national problems.” He announced that the PMLN and the MQMP would participate in the February 8, 2024 election together besides consulting each other on economic, political and legal matters. He said doors for dialogue would be kept open. The PMLN and the MQMP have a long history of relations. The MQMP will also talk to the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PMLF) in Sindh. Over a question, he said: “We can’t stop Bilawal Bhutto from saying whatever he wants to say.” The former federal minister said Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif had made Bashir Memon PMLN Sindh president after consultation with party leaders. He said Bashir Memon had been under surveillance for a long time and was not controlled by the evil regime because he was a man of law. Being a retired bureaucrat was not a sin, he remarked.
Dr Farooq Sattar said the present overall political and economic conditions pointed to crises and challenges and the big question was how to tackle them. “We discussed not only fighting elections but also running the affairs of national and provincial assemblies. “One party can’t resolve the country’s problems without cooperation of other parties,” he said, adding that it was time to decide political, economic and constitutional reforms. He will join the committee for charter preparation, consisting of three members. “If the charter is prepared, we will bring like-minded parties together for a national consensus,” he said, adding that this had to be understood what the political, moral, human and national responsibility was.
“We should talk about the future by leaving past problems because now there is a need for cooperation. Karachi will play a prominent role in national politics as urban people are very important. We are not claiming who is number one. Leave this dispute. To solve the problems of Karachi, there must be a consensus on Karachi in the national interest.”
Former NA speaker and PMLN leader Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, talking to media, stated that he was seeing Nawaz Sharif as the next prime minister. Over a question about political alliance with other parties, he said he would go to Balochistan soon as all political parties were being contacted. “There is a consensus of political opinion that Pakistan has to get out of difficulties once and for all,” he said and added that in the past, everyone had reservations about courts, but now the judiciary was independent.
Earlier, addressing the MQMP delegation, Nawaz Sharif said collaboration with the MQM was a positive development to get the country and people out of problems. “Together, we will struggle to get the country and nation out of problems. We only want the development of Pakistan. Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan want equal development,” he said, adding that the development of every region of Pakistan had been the PMLN priority and Nawaz Sharif would never discriminate.
“We have completed the Lowari Tunnel project pending for 50 years,” Nawaz Sharif said and added: “Locals are happy with the completion of the Lowari Tunnel. Since 1972, they had been hearing about the Lowari tunnel, but we completed it. The Hazara Motorway was built by us. With the construction of the Chitral Highway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the distance has been reduced and the life of people has become easier,” he said and added: “The dollar remained at 104 rupees for four years, we did not let the dollar move. We did not allow the price of flour and sugar to surge during our time and all food items including vegetables were available at affordable prices.”
Praising Shehbaz Sharif, he said his younger brother got responsibility at a time when the country was virtually bankrupt. He questioned during which period inflation took place? Who made electricity expensive? During whose tenure was the highest loan taken? The PMLN did not do all this and had said goodbye to the IMF, he said, adding that it was sad “that in our era, the bread which cost four rupees is now available for 30 rupees”.
Following the electoral alliance between the PMLN and the MQMP, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said he welcomes his opponents’ intention to jointly contest the elections, the Geo News reported. “We will stand against our opponents in the elections and welcome them,” he said while addressing party workers in Ghotki’s Khangarh.
The former president said when people opposing each other contested elections, the competition among them delivered the “best results”. He said his party never said “no to anyone” and always told everyone to do their politics while they would do theirs. “We have our own philosophy and they have theirs.” Taking a jibe at Nawaz Sharif, he said he was not leaving the country as he was bound by his workers. Explaining his party’s philosophy, he said they did politics of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.
Zardari said they removed Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion not to seek power but for the betterment of the country. Coming down hard on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, the PPP stalwart said: “They do not know how to do or get work done.”
