PML-N reaches out to MQM-Pakistan to discuss ‘new governance model'

MQM-Pakistan and PML-N are on the same page to a greater extent, says Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

KARACHI: [fbvideo link=" https://www.facebook.com/etribune/videos/815238805649390/"][/fbvideo]

A delegation of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday visited the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) headquarters in Karachi to find out a new "governance model" to resolve the long-standing issues of the country.

“We came here [Karachi] on the directives of party president Shehbaz Sharif... and we did not meet them [MQM-P] as the PTI government’s ally but they are our democratic partner for the last 32 years,” PML-N Senior Vice President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said while addressing a joint press conference with the MQM-P’s senior leaders.

Minister for Information Technology Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Amir Khan and other MQM-Pakistan leaders were also present on the occasion.

Despite political difference, Abbasi said that both the parties held discussion over the "economic and democratic challenges" the country is facing and “to a greater extent we are on the same page about their resolution”.



“Democracy is the only way forward and the country can only develop and prosper by implementing the Constitution,” he added.

The former prime minister also said that his party just did not want to come into power through fresh elections “but we want all stakeholders to sit together to find out a viable solution to resolve long-standing issues as the previous model adopted by the country has failed to do so”.

Dispelling the speculations that the PML-N is lobbying to topple the PTI's government, Abbasi said that he wanted Prime Minister Imran Khan to complete his five-year tenure so that his "real face" could be unmasked before the masses.

Speaking on the occasion, MQM-Pakistan's Dr Siddiqui said the meeting between the two parties was a step forward towards a "genuine democracy".

Only a real democracy can resolve the issues of the country "where only a common Pakistani sit in the Parliament House not only feudal lords", he added.