PTI, Sunni Ittehad leaders visit MWM secretariat for talks

ISLAMABAD: Though Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) appears frantically engaged in talks with some religio-political parties following the general election, nothing concrete has emerged yet.

On Sunday, PTI’s senior leaders, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Omar Ayub, along with Sunni Ittehad Council’s head Sahibzada Hamid Raza, visited the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Central Secretariat in Islamabad and held discussions on prospects of closer cooperation in parliament and at the provincial level.

Hamid Raza, who had contested as an independent candidate backed by the PTI, won the elections from NA-104 Faisalabad, by pocketing 128,687 votes, while PMLN’s Daniyal Ahmad remained the runner-up with 92,594 votes.

Chairman MWM Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri, Vice Chairman Allama Ahmed Iqbal Rizvi and Secretary Political Affairs Asad Abbas Naqvi welcomed the visitors. Secretary General MWM Advocate Nasir Abbas Shirazi, Opposition Leader and Parliamentary Leader MWM Gilgit-Baltistan Kazim Meesam, Provincial President Gilgit-Baltistan Agha Ali Rizvi and others were also present.

The meeting discussed the country’s political situation and important issues in the wake of recently-held elections and their outcome.

The PTI leaders have so far held negotiations with the JUI-Fazl leadership, including Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Aftab Sherpao’s Qaumi Watan Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, MWM and now Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

The party, which could not directly take part in elections due to non-allotment of electoral symbol to it, wants its share of reserved seats of women and minorities by using the platform of other like-minded parties. But, so far, it has not been able to take the major political decision that could have serious implications and political cost as well.

A source said the PTI was facing resistance from its Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chapter in relation to the possibility of joining the MWM, especially after the party held a rare meeting with Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

However, the source said that whatever decision would be made by the founder chairman Imran Khan would be the final. Sources said Imran Khan had close links with Allama Nasir Abbas of MWM.

“Our platform is available for our PTI friends. We stand our ground, but it is the other side which has to take the decision. Nothing is final yet,” commented a senior MWM member.