PML-N leader denies any seat adjustment with Muttahida

The perception of any electoral alliance between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) in Sindh was shattered on Monday when a PML-N leader announced that the PML-N president and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif did not withdraw his candidature from NA-242 Baldia constituency to support any other party.

Shehbaz and MQM-P central leader Mustafa Kamal had filed nomination papers for NA-242. Later, when Shehbaz withdrew his papers from the constituency, it was believed that the PML-N chief had withdrawn in favour of Kamal to strengthen the PML-N and MQM-P’s alliance against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Sindh.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Khawaja Ghulam Shoaib, who is now the PML-N candidate from NA-242, announced that Shehbaz’s decision to withdraw his candidature from Baldia Town was not meant to support any other political party in the constituency as the PML-N was very much in the field in NA-242.

Shoaib categorically stated that his party had not entered into any electoral allianceor reached any agreement on seat adjustment with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan for jointly contesting the upcoming polls in Sindh.

He told the media persons that the PML-N had allied itself with the Grand Democratic Alliance and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl to jointly contest the polls in Karachi.

“We desired that Shehbaz Sharif contested the elections from Karachi,” Shoaib said. He added that the PML-N president had himself visited the Bahadurabad headquarters of the MQM-P but the two parties failed to reach any agreement. “This alliance couldn’t be formed due to one person,” he said but did not name that person.

Shoaib told the media that the PML-N had fielded candidates to contest the upcoming general elections from Karachi. He claimed that the PML-N never abandoned Karachi when it came into power.

He mentioned that the previous regime of the PML-N strived to restore peace in the city. He claimed that owing to efforts of the past PML-N’s government, commercial and industrial activities were revived and the Green Line BRT service was launched in the city. He reiterated the resolve of his party to continue working for the development and progress of Karachi.