In a significant development in Pakistan’s electoral landscape, thePakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Muttahida QaumiMovement-Pakistan (MQM-P) have jointly announced their participation in theFebruary 8 elections.
This announcement follows a meeting between an MQM-P delegation, led byKhalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Farooq Sattar, and Syed Mustafa Kamal, with PML-Nleader Nawaz Sharif at the party’s Model Town secretariat in Lahore.
Subsequently, senior PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique stated, “It hadbeen decided that both parties will contest the February 8 polls jointly.”
The two parties have also agreed to formulate a joint strategy to addressthe current crises facing Pakistan and work toward the country’sdevelopment.
Furthermore, they have established a six-member committee tasked withpreparing a comprehensive charter to address the issues in Sindh province,particularly in its urban areas. This committee will present its finalproposals for cooperation to the leadership within 10 days, according to astatement issued by the PML-N.
As the general elections approach, the schism between PML-N and thePakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has deepened, with the latter expressingconcerns about unequal opportunities leading up to the polls.
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The PPP has asserted that the PML-N is not providing a level playing fieldfor the upcoming elections. The PPP has also signaled its willingness toform alliances with any political party, including the PakistanTehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), against the PML-N.
Regarding the country’s political and economic conditions, MQM-P leaderFarooq Sattar emphasized the need for a broader understanding andcooperation among political parties, advocating a joint strategy for theelections.
Sattar also highlighted the importance of reaching a national consensus toaddress the problems faced by Karachi, a city that generates a significantportion of Pakistan’s revenue.
Mustafa Kamal stressed the political, moral, and constitutionalresponsibility of parties to address the country’s issues and called forstrong leadership and tough decisions to overcome the crises, suggestingthat international financial institutions alone cannot resolve Pakistan’schallenges, but Karachi’s potential can contribute significantly.