ISLAMABAD, Mar 22 : The United Opposition in Pakistan Saturday suffered a major setback when Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) formally parted ways with the PML by announcing withdrawal of its candidate for premiership in favour of PPPP.
The announcement came after a formal meeting of a high powered MQM delegation with PML President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain here at the latter’s residence.
Terming the decision “final” and taken in “larger interest of people of Sindh”, Farooq Sattar, the opposition candidate for the top slot, told reporters that his party would now support the PPP candidate for the top slot, saying that this step would “help bridge the gulf between people of urban and rural Sindh.”
Though the PML President endorsed the MQM decision, tension was evident from the body language of all the PML leaders.
“We welcome the MQM decision keeping in view the negative and undemocratic trends already emerging in Sindh. Only today, a false FIR of murder has been lodged against our leader Sardar Ghous Bakhsh Khan Mehr. In this scenario, we greet the MQM decision even if they join the government in larger interest of their people. As they are our friends, we hope that being a part of treasury, they would resist any negative and undemocratic move against our leaders,” said Shujaat.
However, Chaudhry Shujaat made it clear that the PML would take its decision whether or not to field its candidate for the top slot.
“We have convened a PML meeting later in the day and final decision would be taken in the meeting,” he said.
Farooq Sattar said the party had taken the decision after PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Zardari phoned MQM Quaid Altaf Hussain and sought his support for PPP candidate for premiership.
“This decision is in line with the party policy as we have been calling for political reconciliation since the year 2002. Despite this decision, we are still a part of opposition. However, the ball is now in the court of PPP whether they want us to join the government cradle or not,” he said adding that the MQM neither had lust for power nor it was desirous to join the treasury.
“We had taken such an initiative in 2002 when our talks with the PPP continued for 15 days but did not bear fruit. Even President Musharraf and PML President Ch. Shujaat had supported those talks,” he said adding that MQM leader Altaf Hussain had taken the decision to take the country out of multi-dimensional crisis.
“Both the PML and MQM have been friends and would remain the same despite the fact whatever course we adopt. We are happy that the PML leadership has also endorsed our decision. I can assure you in view of any projected political scenario, this friendship would remain intact. Even if the PML brings its own candidate and we do not caste our vote in its favour, this friendship would go on,” he said.
Though Sattar made it clear that for the time being, the MQM was a part of opposition, he however said it was now upto the PPP leadership to make any choice whether or not it wanted the MQM to join the government.
He also said his party would continue its support to opposition leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.
To a question, MQM leader rejected the notion of involvement of any “hidden power” behind the decision, saying that this was a unanimous decision and even PML President had hinted it during his visit to Nine Zero, the MQM headquarter, on March 3.
“We are not desperate to join the treasury. This step is only a goodwill gesture and nothing else. This is also in the larger interest of the province and the country. We do not want confrontation and rather we are striving for broad-based national reconciliation and this initiative also aims at the same objective,” he said.
Shujaat also defended the MQM decision, saying that if this step is not responded fairly, the doors “are open for the MQM to return’.
Pervaiz Elahi said the PML would take its final decision in its separate meeting later in the day. He said the nomination papers for the top slot would be filed on Sunday and there was no hurry to take the final decision.
Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Ch. Amir Hussain, Amir Muqam, and Tariq Azeem assisted PML President during the talks while the MQM delegation also included Haider Abbas Rizvi, Iqbal Muhammad Khan and Abdul Wasim.
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