Keeping aside political differences, leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday sat together to evolve a strategy to pull the county out of the prevailing political and economic crisis.
A three-member MQM delegation of Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar, Senator Babar Khan Ghauri and Tahir Hussain Mashhadi held talks with PML-N leaders Ishaq Dar and Pervez Rasheed at Punjab House. Sources said during the meeting, the leaders of both parties discussed various issues including the current political situation of the country and a possible electoral alliance and the political scenario pre- and post-general election. They also discussed the issue of local bodies elections and worsening law and order in various parts of the country.
Per sources, PML-N representatives invited the MQM leaders to make an alliance with their party in the next general election. The MQM delegation sought time to decide on the issue. The sources said no final decision was taken in the meeting but both parties agreed to continue the consultation process.
The MQM delegation also extended invitation to PML-N leaders to visit ‘Nine Zero’. After the meeting, MQM leader Farooq Sattar called upon the political forces of the country to sit together to provide relief to the people, as no single political party would be able to handle the situation alone.
He said his party had started bringing political forces on a single platform to handle the ongoing crises in the country and that was why they met PML-N leaders to discuss ways for the betterment of the country. He said the meeting was aimed at discussing the country’s security and stability. Sattar said during their meeting with PML-N leaders, they discussed the current situation of the country and also exchanged MQM chief Altaf Hussain’s concerns about the internal and external threats being faced by Pakistan. PML-N leader Ishaq Dar said the PML-N and MQM had similar views on resolving problems faced by people.
He said after meeting the MQM leaders, he felt that they (MQM leaders) were part of opposition and their views were similar to the PML-N’s.
Dar said the deteriorating economy of the country needed a rapid response and revolutionary steps in order to resolve the economic problems of the country and provide relief to the masses. He added that his party chief had already forwarded a national charter which was need of the hour to pull the country out of existing crisis.
MQM, PML-N sit together ‘in national interest’
