- Sattar says committee with three representatives from each party to facilitate alliance for Feb 8 polls
- PPP’s Saeed Ghani terms PML-N-MQM alliance to be dead horse of politics
LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Tuesday announced an electoral alliance for the upcoming polls.
Addressing the media in Lahore, MQM-P senior leader Farooq Sattar said that both parties will run a joint campaign for the general elections slated for February 8, 2024.
He was flanked by PML-N and MQM-P leaders including Khawaja Saad Rafique and Mustafa Kamal.
A joint-committee with three representatives from each party will facilitate the alliance, said Sattar.
پاکستان مسلم لیگ (ن) اور ایم کیوایم کا مشترکہ اعلامیہ
لاہور:7 نومبر
متحدہ قومی موومنٹ پاکستان (ایم۔ کیو۔ایم) کے وفد نے ڈاکٹر خالد مقبول صدیقی کی قیادت میں ، جس میں ڈاکٹر فاروق ستار اور مصطفی کمال شامل تھے، نے پاکستان مسلم لیگ (ن) کے قائد محمد نوازشریف اور صدر پاکستان مسلم لیگ… pic.twitter.com/38wTv7WaeC
— PMLN (@pmln_org) November 7, 2023
A meeting was held between the senior leadship of PML-N including both the Sharif brothers and the visiting MQM-P delegation prior to the press conference.
Sharing the update on X, formerly Twitter, the PML-N stated: “Both the parties have agreed to adopt a joint strategy to bring the nation out of the current crises and to bring Pakistan back on the path of development. The two parties also decided to set up a six-member committee to prepare a comprehensive charter to address the problems of Sindh province, especially its urban areas. The committee will present the final proposals for cooperation between the two parties to the leadership within 10 days.”
The move comes a few days after a conversation was reportedly held between PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, wherein both political bigwigs pledged their commitment to collaborating in order to address the country’s pressing issues and reshape its political future.
Addressing the press conference, Kamal said that the two parties will work towards taking the economy back to the same position as it was in 2013. “Nawaz Sharif has the experience to deal with all sorts of problems,” he said.
قائد پاکستان کی قیادت میں پاکستان مسلم لیگ ن اور ایم کیو ایم رہنماؤں کی ملاقات ملکی سیاست میں مثبت پیش رفت ہے۔ میاں نواز شریف نے پاکستان کی خاطر تمام سیاسی جماعتوں سے مل کر چلنے کے عزم کی توثیق کر دی۔
انشاء اللہ اس ملاقات کے سیاسی رخ پر دورس نتائج نکلیں گے۔ pic.twitter.com/uf1Kpk02i7— Adeel (@AdeelAliKhan313) November 7, 2023
“Simply put, the state of the country right now is not good,” said Kamal. “The International Monetary Fund (IMF) cannot pull the country out of this crisis, Karachi can,” he added.
The former Pak Sarzameen Party leader said that no personal talks were held with the PML-N leadership, only people’s concerns were discussed.
Meanwhile, Rafique said that February 8 elections will be contested in a tolerant environment. Referring to Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Rafique said that Bilawal is a free man and cannot be stopped from making statements he wishes too.
Earlier, the MQM-P delegation was invited by PML-N President and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Shehbaz had a telephonic contact with MQM-Pakistan Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and invited him for a meeting in Lahore, and the invitation was accepted.
‘PML-N-MQM alliance will prove to be dead horse of politics’
Following formal announcement regarding the electoral alliance between the PML-N and MQM-P, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Saeed Ghani commented that Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) proved it to be dead horse of politics by making alliance with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
In a statement issued on Tuesday, he said that MQM always claimed of contesting general election at its own but now its attitude reveals that was not further in position to maintain its status anymore.
Saeed Ghani further said that no support can now help MQM to succeed in general elections.
He said that perverted collation of MQM-P and PML-N was expected and “we would fully contest elections against them.”
The PPP leader claimed that no political party can solely contest elections against his party.
Saeed Ghani said that PPP was largest political party of Karachi and would maintain its position after general elections.
PML-N announces its manifesto committee
Meanwhile, the PML-N has announced name of members of its manifesto committee. The committee will be chaired by senior leader Irfan Siddiqui and will include representation from all four provinces, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and minorities.
Ahsan Iqbal, Pervaiz Rasheed, Saad Rafiq, Azam Nazir Tarar, Khurram Dastgir, and Maryam Aurangzeb have been appointed as members of the committee.
Rana Ehsan Afzal, Rao Ajmal, Riazul Haque, Mossadegh Malik, Barrister Zafarullah, Tariq Fazl, Sabir Shah, Akhtar Wali, Khildas Kohistani, and Bashir Memon are also included in the committee.
The committee will be responsible for drafting the party’s manifesto for the upcoming elections.
