LAHORE - The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Q have joined hands to develop a “strategic partnership leading to a new political alliance” in the greater national interest. The agreement came in a meeting after a joint address to party workers at the Muslim League House, where a 15-member MQM delegation met the PML-Q leadership on Sunday.
The delegation led by Dr Farooq Sattar was accorded a warm welcome by the PML-Q leadership. MQM leaders who were part of the delegation were Senator Babar Ghouri, provincial minister Raza Haroon, Wasay Jalil, Tahir Asif, Iftikhar Randhawa and others. Addressing the gathering later, Dr Sattar said both parties had an agenda to save Pakistan and always invested their energies to strengthen foundations of the country. He called both the MQM and PML-Q “king makers”.
Sattar claimed that close ties between both parties were not against anyone and were not a result of any political rivalry. He said both the MQM and PML-Q never signed any document like the Charter of Democracy, but in reality, only these parties had implemented it. He said the MQM and PML-Q possessed the power to “force the rulers to mend their ways” and both would jointly evolve a strategy to block any step against national interests.
He also called for local government elections. PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat said “we are going to take practical step to launch politics of unity announced by MQM chief Altaf Hussain”.“Our survival and progress lies in national unity and working relationship among the political parties,” he opined. Shujaat said he was sure that the PML-N would never muster up the courage to hold local government elections in Punjab as its defeat was written on the wall.
Ch Pervaiz Elahi said the PML-Q leadership never chanted hollow slogans of “revolution” like the Sharif brothers, but took practical measures to change the condition of the people of Punjab. He said it was PML-Q government which took revolutionary measures on health, education and public welfare, but the present rulers of Punjab put all the development process to a halt.
MQM, PML-N make contact
LAHORE - The MQM and the PML-N have agreed to hold a formal meeting to improve their relationship, it has been learnt. Sources said MQM’s Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar called Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and discussed the current political situation in the country besides a number of other issues. Both the leaders reaffirmed to continue the reconciliatory process.