No talks on forming next govt, says MQM-P after PML-N moot

PML-N statement earlier said two parties had reached an agreement in 'principle'

RAIWIND:

The PML-N and MQM-P held a  crucial meeting in on Sunday after no party emerged as the clear victor in the February 8 polls. 

A statement by the PML-N stated that the two parties had reached an agreement in 'principle' on working together towards forming the next government. 

However, soon after the meeting ended, MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said no talks were held on the subject during the meeting. 

The PML-N delegation was led by party supremo Nawaz Sharif, and the Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui led MQM-P's delegation.

Speaking to the media, Siddiqui said a challenging scenario has emerged post-elections and all parties must play their role in steering the country out of its present circumstances. 

“The stability of democracy is more important than anything else,” he said and reiterated that no discussion has yet taken place regarding the formation of the next government.

The party convener added that it was too early to say whether MQM-P would get any share in the future government. 

Former premier Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz also attended the meeting, while the MQM-P delegation comprised Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, Dr Farooq Sattar and Mustafa Kamal.

In the aftermath of the electoral storm that swept through Thursday's general elections, leaving behind allegations of pre-poll trickery and delayed results, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif put on a brave face by claiming a victory.

Read Nawaz put on a brave face

In a strategic move, Nawaz unveiled plans to build a coalition, nominating key figures of his party former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar to engage the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and other smaller groups, mainly the component parties that were allies in the previous 16-month term of PDM to form a coalition government with his party at the forefront.

However, his optimistic vision clashes with the stark reality portrayed by the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) dashboard, which paints a different picture of electoral outcomes.

Independent candidates, an overwhelming majority of them backed by PTI, dominate the tally, and questions arise regarding PML-N's ability to secure a majority to form a government.