report in The Nation, Dec 30, 2023
KARACHI – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Friday met leaders of Muttahida Qaumi Movement- Pakistan (MQM-P) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) in a bid to finalise anti-Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) electoral alliance and seat adjustments on national and provincial assembly seats in the Sindh province.
Welcoming Shehbaz Sharif at MQM-P headquarters, the party convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that inclusive democracy was need of the hour for Pakistan. “We want this relationship between the two parties to grow,” he said.
Shehbaz Sharif said that they had decades-old relationship with MQM-P and during the coalition government, this relationship further strengthened. “Be it floods, inflation or economic front, MQM-Pakistan supported my government,” he said.
The PML-N president said the next election will decide if Pakistan had to move towards prosperity or not. “Conspiracies are on the rise and lies are being spread to propagate negativity in Pakistan’s society and now it is upto us to lead the nation towards prosperity,” he said.
He said that Karachi was major revenue-earning city of the country and should get its due right. “We want to work with all stakeholders and MQM is a key partner in this regard,” he said. Shehbaz, while rejecting the notion of ladla for PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, one whose daughter was arrested before him was ladla or the one who was welcome by judges with ‘good to see you’ remarks when he appear before them.
Meanwhile, sources privy to the discussions during the meeting said that both the parties could not end their differences on seat adjustment in the city and NA-242 where both Mustafa Kamal and Shehbaz Sharif have filed their nomination papers became bone of contention. They said the committees from both parties will have a final round of talks on seat adjustments and a decision is likely to be made in the next week.
“The MQM-Pakistan has also demanded the PML-N to give assurance on approving the draft bill on devolution of powers to the grassroot level,” they said. Moreover, Shehbaz Sharif also met Pir Pagara where they discussed strategy to counter PPP in the next elections from Sindh province.
https://www.nation.com.pk/E-Paper/lahore/2023-12-30/page-1/detail-0
