Pervaiz Musharaf invites PSP, MQM to join his 23 parties alliance
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ISLAMABAD: Former dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf on Friday announced the formation of a 23-party alliance under the umbrella of ‘Pakistan Awami Ittehad’ and ‘invited’ the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) to join him.
The development came on the heels of unfolding developments in Pakistan’s cosmopolitan city of Karachi where a rare ‘alliance’ between the MQM and the PSP just lasted for 24 hours.
Reports are rife suggesting efforts by ‘certain quarters’ to forge some kind of alliance between Karachi’s two urban parties and bring them under the command of the former general.
These reports somewhat got credence on Friday when Musharraf telephonically addressed members of the 23-party alliance in Islamabad from Dubai and spoke about the possibility of the MQM and the PSP joining the new alliance under his command.
The new alliance comprises insignificant political groups including the Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Sunni Tehreek, Sunni Ittehad Council, Majlis Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen and others. The alliance also includes parties whose presence is largely confined to paper with virtually no presence on the ground. Musharraf is the chief of the alliance and Iqbal Dar the secretary general. Dr Amjad, the APML secretary general, is the coordinator of the Pakistan Awami Ittehad.
On Friday, the representatives of the 23 parties met in the federal capital in what was their maiden huddle after which they held a press conference. This followed the telephonic address by Musharraf.
