PPP, MQM to contest elections together, says President Zardari

President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday said the MQM and PPP were allies and would contest the general elections together.
The president was chairing a meeting of the PPP and MQM core committees at Bilawal House in which the local government system, law and order in the province and coalition matters were discussed.
The president directed the participants of the meeting to finalize the law pertaining to the local government system as soon as possible. Reacting to violence in Karachi, Zardari said strict action should be taken against those individuals who were destroying peace in the city.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Asim Hussain, Farooq Sattar, Babar Ghouri, Mazharul Haq, Ayaz Soomro, Agha Siraj Durrani, Rafique Engineer, Rashid Hussain Rabbani, Abdul Qadir Patel, Sagheer Ahmed, Muhammad Kanwar Naveed and Raza Haroon were present in the meeting.
Underlining the need for the two coalition partners to work hand-in-hand for peace in the province, especially in Karachi, and strengthening of the political process, Zardari said the PPP believed in following the policy of reconciliation and taking along all its allied parties in all matters of national importance.
He said the fragile law and order in Karachi demanded all political forces to work together for ensuring peace in the metropolis and bringing the culprits to books. The president said political forces should augment efforts of the law enforcement agencies in maintaining peace in the economic hub of the country. He said ensuring complete law and order and the protection of life and property of the citizens was the priority of the government and no comprise would be made in this regard. About the local government system for Sindh, the president expressed hope that the two parties would soon be able to finalize their deliberations in order to carry forward the democratic process and for conducting the local bodies elections in the province.