KARACHI: According to reliable sources, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday assured the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) that the grievances of the party would be redressed by tonight.
The development came during a telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Shehbaz and MQMP convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui after the party threatened to quit the alliance if its concerns were not addressed.
Two days ago, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)’s ally MQMP demanded the Prime Minister to take a clear stand on whether he has any respect for the people of Sindh or whether the party will decide its future. . ruling coalition.
The demand came on the eve of local body elections – scheduled for January 15 – after the MQM-P also “rebranded” itself after the merger of Mustafa Kamal and Farooq Sattar.
To address the MQMP’s concerns, the Sindh government demanded the postponement of the elections on Friday morning, but the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided to hold the local body elections in Karachi and Hyderabad as per schedule.
Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari also telephoned Siddiqui, sources familiar with the matter said.
Sources added that the former president offered talks and assured the party that the PPP would resolve its issues.
Meanwhile, PDM chief and Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also urged Siddiqui not to lose patience during the telephone call.
Sources said that in the phone call, the two leaders discussed issues of mutual interest, local government elections and other issues.
Later, during an informal interaction with reporters at MQM-P’s Bahadurabad office, Siddiqui confirmed that he had “positive discussions” with PPP’s Zardari.
In an attempt to increase pressure on the current government, the MQMP leader said he would hold another meeting two hours later if his demands were not met, but said “Asif Zardari keeps his promises”. .
The MQMP leader said without elaborating that the government had “two options” to postpone the LG polls.
Due to the uncertainty regarding MQMP staying in the alliance, two federal ministers of MQMP, Aminul Haq and Faisal Sabzwari, and a special assistant to the prime minister, Sadiq Iftikhar, submitted their resignations to the coordination committee of the party.
Additionally, due to “security concerns”, the MQM-P has also postponed its general workers’ meeting scheduled for tomorrow, party leader Haq confirmed.
He said the party leadership considered the option of “resignations” but in the same breath, the MQMP leader noted: “Things are progressing in a positive manner.”
The party spokesperson said that the new date for the general workers meeting will be announced later.
According to informed sources, intelligence agencies had earlier recommended the ECP to postpone the second phase of the local elections, citing serious “security threats”.
