KARACHI – MQM female lawmaker has quit party and joined Pakistan People’sParty (PPP), dealing a major blow to her former party – the Muttahida QaumiMovement-Pakistan (MQM-P) – days after it suffered a setback in Senateelections.

MPA Heer Soho claims there is no respect for women in the MQM-P – a majorfaction of MQM, which was previously run by London-based supremo AltafHussain.

In the past, Soho had been all praise for MQM-P for providing“unprecedented respect to women members”.

Soho told the media on Tuesday that she would reveal the party’s treatmentof women in a press conference later.

The provincial legislator says she joined the PPP when she attended adinner reception hosted by CM Murad Ali Shah at Chief Minister House a daybefore Senate elections.

During Saturday’s polls, the MQM-P suffered a setback by gaining only oneseat despite being the second largest party in the Sindh Assembly. MQM-Pchief Farooq Sattar had blamed the result on party MPAs selling their votesto the PPP.

Meanwhile, there were also reports another MQM-P MPA Naila Muneer has alsojoined PPP, however, she has not formally announced joining the party.

Naila Muneer had also attended the dinner reception at CM House with HeerSoho.