The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) appears to be losing its allies before elections due to its rapidly changing decisions during the last few weeks, Pakistan Today has reliably learnt.
The Tehreek-e-Sooba Hazara Pakistan (TSHP), a new political party gearing up to contest elections for the first time, has started looking for other options instead of the MQM in Sindh.
Earlier, TSHP chief Haider Zaman had announced unconditional support to the MQM for supporting its cause of a separate province in the parliament, but later changed his position, saying electoral alliance with any party was yet to be decided. Differences also exist between the TSHP’s central and provincial leadership of Sindh province over alliance with political parties for the upcoming general elections.
Moreover, the TSHP has also decided to contest for national and provincial assembly seats from Karachi. The party has strong presence in some of the constituencies which have been traditionally won by the MQM in past.
Talking to Pakistan Today, TSHP Sindh President Sardar M Iqbal said that the party would contest for some seats in Karachi, a stronghold of the MQM, for the first time. “We will contest for seven provincial and three National Assembly seats from Karachi,” he said, adding that the party had divided the provincial capital in three zones and would contest polls from all zones.
“The zones have been named as East, West and South,” he said, adding that areas included in the West zone are: Baldia Town, Abidabad, Rasheedabad, Mterovill, Mominabad, Zia Colony, Faqir Colony, Hazra Colony, Jaddah Colony, Ittehad Town, Gulshan-e-Ghazi, Musharraf Colony, Frontier Colony, Shershah, Keamari, Hawksby, Hijrat Colony, Sultanabad and Maripur. Areas included in the East zone are Future Colony, Mansehra Colony, Muzzafarabad Colony, Sherpao Colony, Awami Colony, Qadafi Town, Zaffar Colony, Muhammad Nagar, Bhains Colony, Shah Latif Town, Gulzar Colony, Qayyaumabad, Bilal Colony and Allahwala Town. The areas included in the South zone are: Akhtar Colony, Azam Basti, Kalapul, Manzoor Colony and Mehmoodabad.
“In the areas of East and West zones, almost 90 percent population comprises Hazara people who have been residing for last many years,” he said, adding, “In areas of South zone, we have 50 percent Hazarawal population.”
“Negotiations with the MQM are underway and some other political parties would also be an option for the TSHP,” he said, adding that although Karachi was MQM’s stronghold but nothing had been decided yet. He claimed that Ghaus Bux Mehar of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) had approached him for alliance, adding that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) would also be an option for alliance in Sindh.
However, TSHP founding leader and Central President Haider Zaman said that he would not enter into alliance with any PML faction. “Alliance with ruling coalition partners is not possible,” he said, adding, “We are thankful to the MQM for raising voice of Hazarawal in parliament for a separate Hazara province.”
“In Sindh, there would be give and take,” he said, adding that the party would decide for alliance after the date for general elections was announced. “A party should be firm on its stance and should not change its decisions with the passage of time,” he said, adding that whoever supports the cause of separate Hazara province would be welcomed for alliance in the elections. “It could be Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or any other political party,” Haider Zaman added.
When the MQM was approached for comments on the TSHP’s decision for contesting elections and nominating candidates on seats which are won by MQM regularly, its leader Faisal Sabzwari said that MQM never entered into alliance with any political party in the past. He said the MQM had been contesting elections alone and entered into alliance with other political parties for government after elections. He further said that if any political party approached the MQM for alliance before elections, then the matter would be placed before the party’s central leadership.
However, he refused to comment on TSHP’s decision of nominating candidates on seats previously won by MQM in past.
