MQM chief reassured that his party would not pull out of the ruling coalition. PHOTO: APP/FILE
The government’s troubleshooter dashed to London on late Tuesday night to win back the support of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, a key ally in the ruling coalition, which has lent it support to a scheduled ‘million-man’ march of influential scholar Tahirul Qadri.
The MQM has joined hands with the Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI) in its push for sweeping reforms in the country before the next parliamentary election.
The party said that thousands of its workers will converge in Islamabad on January 14. On Tuesday, the MQM staged a huge gathering, dubbed as “Safar-e-Inqilab-e-Pakistan”, in Karachi which was addressed by Dr Qadri as well as MQM chief Altaf Hussain.
Alarmed by the development, the government sent its troubleshooter – Interior Minister Rehman Malik – to London to meet Altaf Hussain at the MQM international secretariat. Malik requested Altaf to reconsider his party’s support for the scheduled long march.
The MQM chief advised him to send a high-powered Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) delegation to Lahore to meet Dr Qadri in person to understand his reservations. “The delegation should directly ask Dr Qadri as to what type of reforms he wants,” Altaf was quoted as telling Malik in a press release issued in London.
The MQM chief, however, reassured that his party would not pull out of the ruling coalition. He also sought to quash rumours that the MQM wanted the elections delayed. Dr Qadri has vehemently denied these rumours on several occasions, added Altaf.
He said that the MQM and Dr Qadri have invited all other political and religious parties, including the PPP, to join the “Journey for Revolution”.
Kaira lashes out at Qadri
Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Wednesday that Dr Qadri should first clarify his position whether he would contest election or not.
Talking to journalists in Faisalabad, he said Dr Qadri had expressed his intention of not contesting the election so he was not a stakeholder in the democratic system. Holding processions and debates is the constitutional right of every citizen, but no one would be allowed to breach law, he added.
Kaira said the government and the assemblies would complete their constitutional term. The government will complete its tenure on March 16, which will be followed by the installation of a caretaker government as per the Constitution.
He said the election process would be completed within 60 days of the caretaker government and assured that the elections would be held before May 16.
Govt forms committee
Meanwhile, the government also constituted a four-member committee to woo its coalition partners and other political forces to start consultations on a caretaker government setup to hold free and fair election.
The committee, headed by Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, will approach leaders of major political and religious parties in the coming weeks. Other members of the committee included senior PPP leaders Yousaf Raza Gilani, Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Khurshid Shah.
“The committee members will ensure that parties resolve their grievances on a caretaker setup,” a senior PPP leader said, requesting anonymity.
Furthermore, at a meeting held at Bilawal House, President Asif Ali Zardari directed the federal law minister to finalise a date to dissolve parliament and the four provincial assemblies and fix the date for the upcoming general election.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2013.
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MQM wants the system to change so the ordinanry people get real power. Elected members should serve the people who elected them not rule over them Jobs should be filled on merit not on "sifarish or money"
Most surprising is the silence of PTI chief, Imran Khan. When his political ideology of change and Dr. Qadri's is on the same footing, why is he quiet? Or is he just a TV Tiger? Salams