Following in the footsteps of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the main ally of the ruling coalition, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Sunday announced that it will not contest the by-elections to the National Assembly seats. The seat fell vacant after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) de-notified the PTI legislators after Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf accepted his resignation.
According to the statement issued by MQMP, the party has decided not to participate in the upcoming by-elections in view of the current economic situation of the country.
On January 17, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) president and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also said that the ruling coalition would not contest by-elections on vacant seats. He further said that the reasons for not contesting the election will also be brought forward soon.
The statement said that this decision was taken in the coordination committee meeting chaired by MQMP Senior Deputy Convenor Nasreen Jalil. The meeting reached this decision after reviewing the PDM’s request for by-elections.
Meanwhile MQM Pakistan convener Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui confirmed the decision of the coordination committee meeting.
It is worth mentioning here that PDM leadership contacted MQMP a few days ago and requested not to participate in by-elections on vacant seats in Karachi.
MQM-P boycotted LG polls
On January 15, hours before the much-delayed local elections, the MQM-P announced a boycott of the second phase of local elections in seven districts of Sindh — including in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions.
The party’s statement came when it demanded new constituencies before the local body elections.
Addressing a conference with the party’s senior leadership, Dr Khalid Maqbool had said: “The municipal elections have already been rigged. Accordingly, we refuse to recognize the elections. We today [January 15 ] are fighting for justice”.
He had said that the provincial government had also drawn the attention of the ECP towards constituencies. But, the ECP did not heed all the pleas of the MQM-P, he claimed.
