KARACHI: A high-level meeting between Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at Prime Minister House took place this morning, as both Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Pakistan Tehreek Insaf's (PTI) ultimatums draw closer.
Despite efforts to bring the political crisis to a peaceful, satisfactory end, MQM leader Farooq Sattar remained tight-lipped over the minutiae of the meeting when speaking to the media shortly after the meeting, saying only, "We should do what is best for the country. We do not want the system to be derailed."
"The PM was attentive and responded well. He wants to solve the current impasse," Sattar said.
"There is still potential for a satisfactory outcome."
Yesterday, both Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri had marked Wednesday as an important day in the political crisis that has engulfed the country since their 'Azadi' and 'Inqilab' marches began two weeks ago. Qadri gave the government a 48 hour ultimatum on Monday that ends this evening. Imran gave the government a similar ultimatum; both demanding the Sharif brothers to resign over rigging allegations.
"Today is a very important day," Sattar affirmed. "We want the deadlock to be broken before the ultimatum.
The allegations, which have not thus far been proven, were bolstered recently after a former Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) official affirmed PTI and PAT's claims in an interview with a private news channel.
COMMENTS (14)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
@Now we know: This brings out the true face of MQM.
MQM has decided to stand up with forces that are fanning sectarianism.
@Lost Relevance: Now, Kaira enters into negotiations. Better late than never. Siraj ul Haq could have played a more effective role.
This news that MQM is negotiating between PAT and the Govt has lost its relevance as Altaf announces to stand with PAT. The Opposition had trusted MQM to be "neutral" but the latter did not remain so. Now, PPP should give up its complacence and play the role of mediator. Besides, why no mediation role has been played by the Opposition to broker peace between PTI and the Government???
Politicians in Pakistan are re-active never pro-active. Conditions in Pakistan change so fast that politicians are never ever in charge. They do not know how to re-act, consider the Model town firing, consider the Islamabad sit-ins. This will further get much worse. Politicians live in one world and the world around them is another world. They can never be in the real world, because of security and their own insecurity. To have democracy there are very basic fundamentals, which our society does not posses. The first perhaps is respect for law. Our law makers are law breakers, consider the private security guards, they travel with. How many ministers, prime ministers, party leaders, etc from Pakistan leave for England, because of personal safety, how many English leaders leave for Pakistan for their personal safety. This is the basic difference. How can we expect any sort of respect. All the players in the current scenario have foreign connections, some have properties, some have houses, some have family members, some have foreign passports etc. When we do not respect our own laws, the laws that we make for ourselves, why this great fuss about democracy, about rigging???. We are a nation of hypocrites, we are a nation which does not accept its own failings, we are nation that has high hopes but low on deliverance and therefore cannot ever be satisfied. We live beyond our means and expect others to cough up thru IMF etc. We have not been able come to terms with the reality that getting a country is one thing, able to run it is something very different.
@ Israr
A leader is a person who can distinguish the woods from the trees. Having won 5 of the 6 points, IK should have understood that it is time to make a dignified retreat but by perching himself on a high horse of self imposed righteousness, he has made more enemies than friends and has lost more supporters than he has gained, myself included.
Yes, NS and his team have done many wrongs and so did his predecessors, the PPP. However, do you or any one in right mind suggest that every time one agrees with the government in power, he or she collects a few thousand people and descend over Islamabad and force their demands or give suicide like demands and threats.
What would stop Fazlur Rehman from doing this to PTI government in KPK next week. What moral stand would PTI have to oppose such an action by Fazlur Rehman.
IK has set up one of the most dangerous political precedents in Pakistan's political history matched perhaps only by what Bhutto did in 1971 forcing Mujib ur Rahman away.
PTI was indeed a whiff of fresh air in the cynical politics of Pakistan but alas it has ended up increasing the cynicisim, the frustration and the skepticism of people. This is the worst legacy that IK and PTI have left. As regards KPK wonders, there has been no independent verification of any wonders that have been done by KPK. In fact, a year is hardly a serious time interval to expect miracles but then that is exactly the point. PTI should have waited 5 years to show what it can do before looking towards the federal seat of powers. Whats the hurry - just so that IK can get married?! It doesnt get more bizarre than this.
@Napier Mole: A "more resolved" NS is up against people who can't be bought this time. His "resolve" worked well with his mukmuka friends in the past but not this time. Stop following rental media and you will see the support IK has in the masses. I am absolutely amazed at people like you (who know NS and Co rigged the elections and treat the country as their family fortune) and still resist the change to "save the democracy". Really? Do you think democracy and system are safe in the hands of the corrupt? Wonders have taken place in KPK; Right to Information Act and Conflict of Interest Act to name a few. Do you have an Urdu word for conflict of interest? Exactly, that is my point. We have yet to translate "conflict of interest" and yet it is backbone for any system. KPK government has time and again showed willingness for LB elections. They are actually the only government who are prepared for LB elections. But, surprise surprise, who is responsible for holding elections? Is it Election Commission of Pakistan? I love IK for being stubborn and coarse because he is not an actor or pretender in the league of people like Pervez Rashid and Saad Rafiq. You are coarse and stubborn when you speak from the heart but truth hurts, doesn't it?
Why MQM not go to talk Imran Khan............
Hail MQM, dignified indeed.
@Nadeem: Why MQM not even once took serious interest in saving Karachi from the decadence that MQM and Wadera Corruption Party rule has overwhelmed the city with ?" Why MQM never took serious interest in revival of Karachi Circular Railway during the five years of Japanese offer which was eventually blocked by Wadera Corruption Party because Japanese were reportedly not prepared to feed the thugs in Wadera Corruption Party and MQM ???
It is good to see a more resolved NS this time rather than the last times. For once he has the moral authority on his side to oppose Imran Khan on his egotistical demand of prime minister's resignation. No wonder he has not found any supporter for this insane demand either in media or the masses - even among those like me who otherwise oppose NS and his family's history of nepotism or his misplaced emphasis on mega projects rather than strengthening of institutions. This must change but the change should come from within the system not with a military backed intrigue in the form of these dharnas. In any case, IK is yet to prove that he is a better alternative than the present set up. No wonders have taken place in KPK where even the LB elections have not been held yet. And those who touth his honesty as the only qualification for PM post are living in a fool's paradies. His recent stubbornness, his egotistical stand, his bombastic allegations and his coarse language have all proven that he is not PM material as many once unfortunately considered him to be.
I just wonder how much PMLN parliamentarians will be hating Mr. Nawaz Sharif. There is not even a single person whom Mr. Nawaz Sharif can trust as Prime Minister. Surprising what sort of democracy is this. Day by day this movement is becoming more and more for liberating dictatorship in PMLN than in Pakistan.
Lot of regards and respect for MQM taking sincere interest to defuse the present political standoff inshallah there will be happy news for the nation