Senate elections: MQM contacts Pagara for possible alliance
Delegation led by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui also meets Musharraf
Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashidi and leader of MQM Dr Khalid Maqbool at Raja House after a meeting with PML(F) leader, Pir Sibghatullah Rashidi. PHOTO: ONLINE
KARACHI:
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Muslim League – Functional (PML-F) have formally started consultation to make an alliance in the upcoming senate elections being held on March 3.
A delegation of MQM led by Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui visited PML-F leader Pir Pagara at his residence here on Thursday and exchanged views on the future strategy pertaining to Senate Elections.
Before this, the MQM delegation called on former president Pervaiz Musharraf who is actively playing a role of facilitator to make an alliance between the two parties. After the meeting Dr Siddiqui, who was flanked by Dr Farooq Sattar, Babar Ghauri and Hyder Abbas Rizvi, while talking to the media said, “MQM is willing to form strong opposition alliance against bad government, poor law and order situation and corruption in Sindh. We have also discussed Senate elections. I hope our negotiation will yield the result soon.”
The PML-F and MQM will continue their role of opposition in the Sindh Assembly, he added.
To a question on the meeting with Pervaiz Musharraf, Siddiqui said, “We have a deep and old relationship with Musharraf but we have not made any decision to nominate him for Senate seat yet,” the senior MQM leader said.
PML-F Sindh President Syed Sadaruddin Shah Rashdi, who is also brother of Pir Pagara, said the consultation was in the initial phase and they would make final decision after their party meeting on February 9.
PPP-PML-F alliance
Eleven senators from Sindh would retire by mid-March, eight of those belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) while the rest are from MQM.
According to party positions in Sindh Assembly, PPP has 91 seats; MQM 51 seats, PML-F 11, PML-N 10 and PTI-4. PPP is looking to regain its old strength; however, the MQM is demanding more than its current position. “Without the support of MQM or other party, PPP cannot elect its six members on general and one each on women and technocrats seats,” Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said.
Sources said that PPP has also approached PML F to make an alliance in the elections and offered one seat to it. “It is most likely that PPP-PML-F would make the election alliance,” a PPP leader who is member of senate election board said.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 6th, 2015.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Muslim League – Functional (PML-F) have formally started consultation to make an alliance in the upcoming senate elections being held on March 3.
A delegation of MQM led by Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui visited PML-F leader Pir Pagara at his residence here on Thursday and exchanged views on the future strategy pertaining to Senate Elections.
Before this, the MQM delegation called on former president Pervaiz Musharraf who is actively playing a role of facilitator to make an alliance between the two parties. After the meeting Dr Siddiqui, who was flanked by Dr Farooq Sattar, Babar Ghauri and Hyder Abbas Rizvi, while talking to the media said, “MQM is willing to form strong opposition alliance against bad government, poor law and order situation and corruption in Sindh. We have also discussed Senate elections. I hope our negotiation will yield the result soon.”
The PML-F and MQM will continue their role of opposition in the Sindh Assembly, he added.
To a question on the meeting with Pervaiz Musharraf, Siddiqui said, “We have a deep and old relationship with Musharraf but we have not made any decision to nominate him for Senate seat yet,” the senior MQM leader said.
PML-F Sindh President Syed Sadaruddin Shah Rashdi, who is also brother of Pir Pagara, said the consultation was in the initial phase and they would make final decision after their party meeting on February 9.
PPP-PML-F alliance
Eleven senators from Sindh would retire by mid-March, eight of those belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) while the rest are from MQM.
According to party positions in Sindh Assembly, PPP has 91 seats; MQM 51 seats, PML-F 11, PML-N 10 and PTI-4. PPP is looking to regain its old strength; however, the MQM is demanding more than its current position. “Without the support of MQM or other party, PPP cannot elect its six members on general and one each on women and technocrats seats,” Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said.
Sources said that PPP has also approached PML F to make an alliance in the elections and offered one seat to it. “It is most likely that PPP-PML-F would make the election alliance,” a PPP leader who is member of senate election board said.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 6th, 2015.